Dirty Laundry
by Lilbit903
Summary: Stephanie finds out about Joe's Dirty Laundry and decides to hang him out to dry. And in the process discovers that she was Wonder Woman all along, and Wonder Woman doesn't necessarily need a man.
1. Finding the Dirty Laundry

**Disclaimer: I own Nothing. Everything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich.**

 **This story is currently undergoing revision. Bare with me. Once I get all of the previous chapter's edited, I'll start to post new ones.**

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Slamming through the house I shared with Joe Morelli, my on and off again boyfriend, I felt the need to scream. I wasn't his maid, why was it so hard for him to pick up his clothes? Sighing I picked up the laundry basket and went around the house picking up dirty socks and underwear. I finally reached the bedroom and had a brief thought of saying eff it, but I knew if I didn't do it it'd never get done. I set the basket on the bed and went around the room picking up pants and t shirts. I stopped short at the sight of a plain white dress shirt wadded up in the corner. Joe didn't wear dress shirts, and when he did, he would usually take them to the dry cleaners.

I stooped to pick it up and felt my heart start to race. I could smell perfume wafting off of it and I knew it wasn't mine. It smelt like the cheap knock off stuff that was often sold at the Ninety-nine cent store. I held my breath to keep from coughing and turned the shirt over. There on the collar was a bright pink lipstick stain, nowhere near the color I wore. It was too bright, hot pink and glittery. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. This couldn't be happening. Joe wasn't like Dickie, he wouldn't do this to me after everything we'd been through.

I felt my throat close up when I saw the red wine stain on his front pocket. I dropped the shirt like it had burned me. How could he do this? Better yet, how did I not see it? All those nights he'd sneak in the house around midnight or later. The dates he'd blown me off on, with an 'I'm so sorry cupcake.' The times he'd show up late to my families dinner at my mother's house looking like he'd been running a marathon. I had a very good idea why I had ignored the signs that were right in front of me.

To make my mother happy and avoid criticism from the 'Burg. Well, if Joe Morelli wanted to cheat on me and leave his dirty laundry out for me to find, I'd hang it and him out to dry. I set off to the laundry room and began to carefully clean the rest of the clothes I had collected earlier. Instead of putting them in the dryer when they were done I took them out to hang on the front porch with a makeshift line, placing the dirty shirt with all of the proof of his dirty deeds smack dab in the middle facing the road for all to see.

I turned to go back into the house and poured myself a glass of white wine. Joe should've known better. He thought getting hit by my father's Buick was bad, I was about to run him over with the equivalent of a Mack truck. I headed upstairs and began to pack my things carefully. I planned to have all of my things loaded into my blue Jeep Cherokee by the time he got home.

After all my things were packed and loaded into my car I went through the house carefully. I ripped any pictures of the two of us up and threw them in a pile on the bed. I walked into his closet eyeing it thoughtfully, before smiling and grabbing a pair of scissors. I carefully cut out the crotch and ass of all his pants before hanging them back up. I cut holes in his shirts where his nipples would be. I shredded his favorite pair of jeans and soaked all of his t shirts in bleach. Satisfied with my work I called my best friend Mary Lou and asked if I could spend a night or two at her place. I could've gone to my mothers or called Ranger, but I didn't want pity or sex.

At least not right now. Right now I was going to play my cards carefully and act accordingly to being the victim of infidelity. What Joe had seemed to forget was that while I had hit him with a car for not calling, I had nearly destroyed Dickie's career. Plums were known for being vindictive creatures, and Morelli had just awoken that creature. Mary Lou had agreed to my staying with her for as long as I needed. I smiled bitterly, now to just wait for the asshole to show up.

I set his favorite chair in the foyer, and debated on destroying it as well, but decided to wait until he arrived. For every lie he told me, I'd slash into the chair. I started to sit down but had a flash of inspiration. I rushed to the kitchen and dug into his whiskey cabinet. He had several bottles of aged whiskey he had recieved on different occasions lined up nicely, some of them never even opened. Smirking I opened each bottle and dumped them into the sink, watching the precious liquid flow down the drain.

Satisfied I walked back to the foyer and sat in the chair toying with the sharp knife in my hand. It was a present from Ranger, my last birthday. At least six inches long with the blade opened, a black textured handle and silver filigrree decorating it. I felt angry tears well up. How was it the man who couldn't give me a real relationship was able to show he cared more for me than the man who I was supposed to be in a committed relationship with.

A few hours had passed when Morelli slammed through the front door screaming, "What the fuck is that shirt doing out there Stephanie!" He was doing the arm waving thing. I felt anger start to boil in me but I held it back. Instead I held his gaze steadily.

"You tell me Morelli. You know what that means just as well as anybody else." I felt a sense of pride for the steadiness of my voice.

His eyes widened at my calm demeanor. He knew I was deadly pissed. Good. I flipped the knife in my hand watched in amusement as he noticed it.

"Cupca-" He began, but stopped short when I stabbed the arm of the chair.

"Here's how this is gonna go Morelli, I'm going to ask you a question, and you're gonna answer honestly. If I think you're lying I'm going to destroy this chair. Then the couch, curtains, and beds. Followed by the computer and burning your clothes. Do we understand one another?" At his nod I smiled and said, "Good. Now first question, how long?"

He gulped before sliding down the door, "A month or two. Maybe?"

I raised my knife to stab the chair again and he quickly responds,"Okay! Okay. Two and half months. Happy now?" He snarled, running agitated fingers through his messy hair. Hair that I once loved to pull on in the throes of passion. Now I just wanted to shear it from his head thinking about another woman's hands in it while he was supposed to be with me.

I sucked air through my teeth and have to fight the urge to stab him. We'd been back on for three months. It had started after I had moved in with him. After he had begged me to move in with him. After I gave up my apartment to make him happy.

"Who?" I grind out, trying hard to keep a hold on my temper.

"What's it matter? We can get through this cupcake." He snorted.

My anger reached a new peak at his nonchalance. It mattered! I would not be forgiving him this time. No matter what he might think. I slammed the knife into the other arm and tore through the supple leather.

"God Damnit Stephanie! Why'd you go and do that shit for." Angry arm waving Morelli was back. I leaned forward in the chair meeting his eyes. I supressed my smirk at his gulp of fear.

"Who. Is. She?" My voice held a deadly timbre to it. I knew I looked crazy, but I needed to know who he'd been seeing behind my back.

"Fuck! Terri Gilman, okay? Look you were never supposed to know. I was gonna end it, but you have a tendency to run when things start to get too serious. What was I supposed to do? I didn't want you to find out." He ground out, as if admitting to seeing another woman behind my back was my fault.

I flung the knife at him watching as it barely missed his head before it was embedded into the front door.

I stood up and glared down at him, "You wanted to know what that shirt was doing on the porch? I found it wadded up in the corner of the room on the floor while I was doing your laundry! If you didn't want me to find it you should've hid it in the closet! Or burned it or just lost it! Now though? I'm gonna hang you out to dry just like I did your dirty laundry." I stepped over him, grabbed my knife from the door and walked out not turning back.

I felt hot tears on my face as I walked to my car and resisted running to my car when I heard Joe step out onto his porch and yell, "You're a crazy bitch Cupcake, but you'll be back! You always come back!" I felt my determination turn to steel at his words. Not this time. Never again. I was done with Joe Morelli forever.

 **RM &SP*RM&SP*RM&SP*RM&SP***

I pulled into Mary Lou's driveway, and sighed knowing I was gonna have to give her as much information as possible, and let her loose on the 'Burg grapevine. It would hurt like hell but I wasn't gonna clean nothing up. Joe wanted to act like a chauvinistic pig and I was gonna treat him like one. If anyone asked me I'd give them all the dirty details firsthand. Let that get back to Morelli.

I walked up the steps and sighed when Mary Lou opened the door, "Oh, Steph honey. Don't you worry about that Morelli. He's a rat bastard, just like all of the Morelli's before him. You deserve better." She murmured as she pulled me into her arms for a hug.

I nodded against her shoulder and wiped the tears from my eyes. She took a step back before smiling at me, "I've got just what you need. Come on." She led me into the kitchen and I laughed at what she had set out, TastyCakes, Ben and Jerry's and tequila were laid out on her kitchen island. She turned and laughed with me and told me to help gather the loot and take it to the living room.

I smiled at her and plopped down onto her comfy couch and giggled when she loaded up "Ghostbusters" For us to watch.

We sat together on the couch eating snack and drinking tequila while I filled her in on what Joe had told me about his affair. I even told her about my crazy antics with his chair and clothes.

She looked at me a levelly as she could with a butt load of tequila in her system and said, "Sounds to me like you were more pissed than hurt Steph. Maybe now you can give Ranger a ride." I pushed her over laughing and it made me feel like we were back in high school. Joking and laughing and helping each other through heartbreaks.

"Thanks Lou. I love you, ya know that right?" I said earnestly.

She giggled and knocked her shoulder against mine, "Course I do! You'd be stupid not to. I'm amazing! I love ya too." She mumbled with a little hiccough. We laid there on the couch until the credits rolled down and stayed there all night.

Too early the next morning I was awoken by the shrill ringing of my cell phone, glancing at the caller ID I groaned. Time to face the firing squad.

I answered my phone with a groggy, "Yeah." And flinched as my mother's shrill voice came through the line.

"Oh thank God! Stephanie, are you alright? Joe came by this morning and said you'd left him, and that he didn't know where you'd went! What were you thinking? Joe Morelli is a very nice young man!" She rambled into the phone.

I groaned and slammed my head against the pillow. Big mistake as a flash of pain caused more groaning, no more tequila for me.

"Ma! Mom. Damnit mother! Joe Morelli is a lying, cheating bastard! If he comes back to the house let dad and Grandma shoot him! He's been sneaking around with Terri Gilman for the past two and a half months!" I shouted back into the phone. I waited for a response and was met with a few minutes of silence until I heard my mother speak again.

"Why that no good rat bastard! How dare he come over here and make himself out to be the victim! I oughta send your father over there to shoot him! I can't believe he'd do that to my baby girl! Just wait til I call his mother! How'd you find out dear?" She rambled.

I grit my teeth and hissed out, "I found his shirt covered in cheap perfume, lipstick stains and red wine stains."

I heard her gasp and begin to curse. I rolled my eyes. At least I knew where my over dramatic tendencies came from.

"Look ma, I'm really not feeling that great. Could you do me a favor and let people know the truth that me and Joe Morelli are well and truly over and why? I just don't have it in me today." I crossed my fingers and hoped my mother would do this for me.

I heard her sigh of agreement along with a mumbled "Sure, love you Stephanie." I responded in kind and hung up the phone. Mary Lou wasn't in the living room so I figured she had been dragged to bed early this morning. I sat up and rolled my neck side to side trying to loosen the tension.

I stood and planned to make my way to a long hot shower when my phone rang again. Ranger. I debated not answering, but that would probably make him send over a team to make sure I hadn't been kidnapped by one of my psycho stalkers.

"Yo." Was the first thing out of his mouth and I smiled to myself, good to know somethings don't change.

"Yo, yourself. Something you need Ranger?" I questioned as I made my way to the bathroom grabbing a set of clean clothes from one of my suitcases.

"Babe." I held back a sigh. That one word could mean so many things, and right now I had a feeling it meant, I know somethings up so go ahead and tell me.

"I'm fine Ranger. I'm staying at a friends for a few days until I can talk to Dillon to see if he has any apartments available. I was actually just about to head into the shower and then go pick up a skip." I intoned.

"Babe, you know you're welcome to my place... and shower." His voice was deep and husky and I closed my eyes to fight off the temptation. Until I got all of mine and Morelli's dirty laundry aired out I wasn't going to give anyone any ammunition against me.

"Thanks, but I'm good. See you around Ranger." I told him before hanging up abruptly. I wasn't going down that road with Ranger again. He'd told me over and over that his kind of relationships didn't come with a ring or any real commitment. Sure he'd be monogamous, but it wouldn't be what I was used to. I knew I would never be able to do no strings attached. So as I was rinsing conditioner from my hair I made a painful decision.

I couldn't be with Ranger in that way, so I'd have to initiate a strict friend's only relationship. That meant no more staying at his place, no more kisses and flirtation, and no more "free" favors. I was going to become independent and learn to stand on my own two feet. No more relying on anyone else but me. Which meant my first order of business was getting an apartment.

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 **A/N: As I stated in the beginning, this entire story is undergoing revision. I'm hoping to make it better for readerrs to enjoy and once I get it up to par I will be adding new chapters. Seeing as I also have four other stories open and being worked on at the moment, it may take awhile, but I have not abandoned this story, nor do I intend to. Reviews are always welcome. Til next time, Lilbit903.**


	2. Becoming Miss Independent

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. All recognizable Characters belong to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' Chapter title comes from Kelly Clarkson's 'Miss Independent'**

The first phone call I made once I had finished my shower and dressed was to Dillon. I had sat with fingers crossed that my old apartment would be available with no such luck. Looks like all the finger crossing in the world wasn't going to change my luck. Sighing I made the decision to brave a trip to the local gas station to pick up a newspaper and some apartment guides. Maybe I'd get lucky and none of them would mind the 'Bombshell Bounty Hunter' renting from them. I really needed a new nickname.

So driving down to the 7/11 I knew I should've expected the mix of pity and glares thrown my way, but it was still irritating. Until the full story got out the 'Burg would be divided, half would show support for me and the others would believe Joe. Which reminded me I needed to figure out what line of crap Joe was selling to the wonderful people of Trenton. I resisted banging my head against the steering wheel at the stoplight. No need to give anyone any more gossip yet.

Pulling into the lot of the 7/11 I grabbed one each of the apartment guides, paid the dollar fifty for the news paper, then headed inside to grab a slushy. On my way to checkout I picked up a few candy bars too. Hey a girl needed chocolate when dealing with a scandalous breakup. Walking up to the counter I laid my selection down and felt a groan building up. I'd been doing a lot of that lately but seeing Tracy Newman at the counter made me want to leave without my slushy or chocolate. So it begins.

"Hi Stephanie! I heard about you and Joe. It's a really awful thing, really. Everyone really thought you would really work out this time. " She said in a obviously fake concerned voice. What she wasn't going to say with all of her really's was that she had boinked Joe while he and I were in an off stage. At least she had enough decency to wait until we were actually off and not on.

Ugh, thinking about it that way reminded me of a light switch. Ohmygod, my relationship was like a light switch. Well now the light bulb it controlled was blown. No way in hell would I be going back to Joe. Glancing at Tracy I forced myself to smile.

"Yeah, but what am I gonna do? Everyone warned me about Morelli. Cheating is in his blood. It was just a matter of time. But with Terri Gilman?" I tutted. Shaking my head a sighed and reached for my debit card. Looking up at Tracy I found it hard not to compare myself to her.

Where I was on the shorter side with big frizzy curls, a few more curves than I would sometimes like, and blue eyes; she had a tall lean figure, straight blonde hair and light brown eyes. She was pretty in a uptown Jersey way, and it made me wonder why Joe had ever gotten with me if women like Tracy were more his type.

"Of course Stephanie. But we all know Terri has about as many standards as a back alley rat. That'll be six dollars and ninety-two cents." She said, and I knew the rumor mill would get to rolling now. Giving a little finger wave I walked out of the store and loaded into my Cherokee.

I looked at the time 11:15 am. Might as well stop by the bond's office and see if Connie had any new FTA's for me. Driving through the streets of Trenton I let my thoughts wander. Did everyone else know what I had just come to realize? That my relationship with Joe was never gonna go anywhere? Were they simply offering platitudes when they said they thought we would last? I thought yes. People were just watching us for entertainment purposes. And quite frankly it pissed me off. I was tired of being entertainment for the people of Trenton.

It was time for a change, but first I needed to decide where to start. I could think about that later. Right now I had a bigger problem. Ranger's Porsche 911 Turbo was parked outside the Bond's office and he was leaning against it. I parked next to his passenger door and laid my head against the steering wheel. I was not looking forward to this conversation, and I had planned on putting it off for as long as possible. Well I guess this was going to be my first change.

Stepping out of my car I found myself nose to chest with Ranger. The smell of Bvlgari wafted off him and made my mouth water. Ricardo Carlos Manoso aka Ranger was six foot two inches of muscle covered in a mocha latte skin tone. He had eyes like melted chocolate and a voice that could go from deadly serious to sex personified. Quite frankly he was the hottest thing on two legs I'd ever seen. And for some reason he like to keep me at arms length. Probably for entertainment purposes.

I blew out a puff of air and looked up at him, "Ranger." I said blankly. He looked down at me and raised an eyebrow. How one man could make a simple expression so friggin' sexy was beyond me, but I knew I'd have to resist him. I couldn't allow myself to keep being drawn in by him only for him to push me away.

"Babe?" He questioned, his eyes searching mine. I looked away and tried to put more space between us. This was gonna hurt like hell.

"I can't keep doing this Ranger. I can't stay at arm's length any more. And I know your life doesn't lend itself to relationships. So I'm not asking for that. Instead I think it's better if we put a firm line between us. So no more kisses, or extraordinary favors, or cars. No more staying at your place or you at mine, whenever I find a new place." I rambled. I found it incredibly strange that I could be so in control with Morelli, but one look from Ranger and my nerves were shot. It wasn't healthy how out of control and insecure he could make me feel.

I held my breath waiting for his response and felt a sting of disappointment when he put his blank face on. What did I expect? For him to fight for me? To say he wanted more? I knew better. Ranger had told me time and time again that his kind of love came with a condom, not a ring.

"If that's what you want Stephanie." He told me, his eyes and voice cold. I nodded my head shakily. It wasn't really, but I couldn't allow myself to continue being treated like a yo-yo. He took a step back and stared down at me. He watched me for a moment then pulled me close and slammed his lips against mine. It was earth shattering and bone melting. It made my blood run hot and cold at the same time. And it was over too soon.

When I opened my eyes it was to see him slam the door of his Porsche hard enough to rattle the windows and drive off. Straightening my shoulders I prepared to walk into the Bond's office and face Connie and Lula.

Pushing through the front door of the office I noticed Connie fanning herself and Lula grinning like the cat that ate the canary. Lula was wearing a bright yellow spandex tube top that was two sizes too small and a pair of Lycra yoga pants that had bunched up in all the wrong places. Her hair and nails matched her top. Lula was a great friend, but she liked to put her large body into vibrant clothes that were way to small for her.

"Sooo white girl! Wanna tell us what that was all about? Cause it sure looked hot from in here." She chuckled.

I rolled my eyes to the ceiling as I flopped down onto the couch, "It was a good bye kiss of sorts. I've decided to put a firm wall between me and Ranger. Friends only. No more kisses and unusual favors. Friends. Just friends." Even I couldn't help but notice the tone of sadness in my voice. I blew out a huff of air before trying to change the subject.

"Any new FTA's Connie?" I looked over at her. She had stopped fanning herself and was looking at me with the same open mouthed shock Lula was.

"What the hell do you mean you're gonna be ' _Just Friends_ ' with Ranger? Have you seen that man? Hell have you seen the way that man looks at you?" Connie asked incredulously. She stared me down waiting for an answer. An answer I wasn't ready to give. So I chose not to respond.

She sighed and handed over a case file, "Fine. Here's one. Dominic Mancino. Aggravated assault, possession, and public intoxication. Let out on a fifty thousand dollar bond. Missed his court date and now Vinnie's freaking out about his money."

I nodded and looked over the file. Dominic Mancino was a twenty-eight year old repeat offender. He'd been in and out of jail from the time he turned eighteen. Over the course of ten years he'd committed armed robbery, grand-theft auto, a string of domestic assaults as well as a few assault and batteries. Finding him could take a while. I nodded my thanks and decided to head back to Mary Lou's. I needed to look for and apartment and maybe she'd have some information on Mancino through the Burg grapevine. Nodding to the girls I headed out.

 **A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed and enjoyed this story so far. I really appreciate the feedback. I intend for this to be a Babe HEA, however Ranger's being an ass and dragging his feet. So it might take a few knocks in the head for him to get it. As always I appreciate reviews and as long as interest is shown I'll take this story as far as I can. Thank you.**


	3. Makin Plans (all by myself)

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything Recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry', Chapter title comes from Miranda Lambert's song 'Making Plans'.**

I was sitting on Mary Lou's couch with dozen's of apartment guides and the local renting ads spread out around me. I'd gone through and marked the ones that seemed the most promising and crossed out any that were within two miles of Morelli's house, Ranger's apartment and Stark Street. Then I had to decide what type of apartment I wanted to live in. I knew that I definitely wanted an updated bathroom, and preferably an open floor plan. More modern and spacious, with lots of light and maybe a private balcony that was very hard to reach, so no psychos could get in.

And as much as I hated the thought I was gonna have to talk to Rangeman to get a security system installed. If I was lucky I'd have enough money left over after I put down a deposit and bought new furniture I'd be able to swing the cheapest security system they offered. If not, I could always go with a cheaper company. Then again that might be a better idea anyway, knowing Ranger he'd insist on giving me the system at a severe discount or for free. I couldn't accept that offer, I meant what I said when I told him no more favors. Ranger had always kept his word with me, it was about time I did the same for him.

That sent me on a different train of thought right away. Ranger was always coming to my rescue, and he'd saved my ass multiple times over the years. Maybe it was time I learned how to save my own ass. Which meant I would have to get some serious training set up. Another thing I knew I couldn't ask Ranger for. I was tired of causing him to bleed money for me; for my safety, replacing cars, and manpower on me. I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I could do this on my own. That I could stand on my own two feet and survive.

Scratch that I knew I could stand on my own, but I wanted to _fly_ on my own. I wanted to show the world that Stephanie Plum didn't need a man to be successful. Maybe someday I'd be ready for a relationship again, but right now I wanted to rediscover myself a bit. I'd have a long road ahead full of difficult decisions, but it was necessary. I needed to take control of my life again.

I was broken out of my thoughts by the sound of the front door opening and closing. Mary Lou came around the corner and raised an eyebrow at me.

"Is it too early for wine?" She asked while setting down her purse and kicking off her heels. I grinned at her and shook my head. I knew the feeling, but I was pretty sure that one-thirty in the afternoon was too early for recreational wine. When I said as much she sighed and laid her her on my shoulder.

I went back to highlighting and marking out apartments. Mary Lou would pitch in every now and then about what she thought would be a good match for me. It was nice to sit with her and just talk about normal things. She told me about her kids, and the problems they'd been starting in school. I snorted and reminded her of some of the crazy things we had done at that age. She snorted, "Well at least I never jumped off my parents garage because I thought I could fly!"

I laughed along with her. It was true that that was one of my more ridiculous ideas. Which sent a thread of doubt through me. Could I really do what I planned. I'm sure I could find another job, but I didn't want to. I actually liked bounty hunting when I wasn't rolling around in garbage, or being kidnapped or having my cars blown up. The truth was I was too easy to push around, which meant that my skips and other criminals would push until I pushed back.

"Hey, Mary Lou, do you know of any good self defense classes at the Y?" I asked sheepishly. I knew she had taken a very basic defense class at her husband's insistence. I figured it couldn't hurt to start out with the basics and then work my way up. I was also gonna talk to Sunny about getting a gun range membership and possibly taking a gun safety class. I knew that my plan would probably set me back on my bank account for a while, but the extra training should help me be more efficient and bring in more skips.

She sighed and pulled out a card for the YMCA, "This was the guy that trained my group. He offers several classes from beginners to masters. Give him a call and set up a time to attend one of those classes." She smiled and patted my hand before wandering into the kitchen to lay out what she would make for dinner.

I glanced at the card and had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. Of course Lester would be the one to teach self defense, there was no way this wouldn't get back to Ranger. I couldn't let that stop me though. Figuring it wasn't too late in the day I went ahead and gave him a call. I was expecting to reach his voicemail so I was more than a little surprised when he answered.

"Santos."

"Um, hi. Lester Santos, this is Stephanie Plum. My friend Mary Lou gave me your card for self defense classes at the Y. I was wondering if you had an open spot for one more. In just the beginners class." I held my breath and waited for his response. It was silent for a moment then.

"Sure thing, Beautiful. I'll schedule you for my next class Wednesday night at six pm. Don't be late." I could hear the laugh in his voice, but before I could call him on it he'd hung up.

Didn't he know basic phone manners. Sheesh, it was like an endemic with those Rangeman guys. Putting my phone down I returned to the apartment guides. I'd narrowed it down to three choices. All were in my price range and in separate parts of town. They each had private balconies and look like they would be a good fit for me. I wrote down their addresses and made a plan to go see them tomorrow. Maybe I'd get lucky and one of the apartments would be the one.

Mary Lou waved on her way out to pick up the kids and I figured now was as good a time as any to go over Dominic's case file more thoroughly. At eighteen he'd been arrested for armed robbery, but I was sure he had a Juvie track record too. He'd served a minimum two year sentence then had been released early for good behavior and overpopulation issues. At twenty he'd received his first domestic assault charge, but the charges had been dropped. Glancing through the rest of the file I noticed a pattern.

All of the DA's came from the same woman, Angelia Calvetti. I highlighted her name and knew I'd be talking to her soon. I was just doing research for now though. I didn't want to put Mary Lou and her family in any more danger than necessary. Once I was in my own apartment I would hit the streets, but until then I would gather information and hit some of the lower bonds. Huhn, maybe Ranger had rubbed off on me some. I shut off that train of thought right away, thoughts of Ranger rubbing anywhere near me would be breaking the strict friends only wall I'd put in place.

Shaking my head I got up and began cleaning up my mess in the living room. I walked into the kitchen to grab a can of pop and debated internally about cooking. I knew I couldn't cook to save my life and it made me kinda sad. Maybe I'd look into some basic cooking classes while I was at it. I might not have any plans on becoming a wife any time soon, but I should know how to cook. An added bonus was that if I was able to feed myself I might be able to avoid more than the required Friday evening dinner with my family. Pleased with my self I made a mental not to check into it on Wednesday before my class with Lester.

My phone's ringing broke me out of my thought process. I let out a huff of air once I read the caller ID. Morelli was calling. I thought about not answering but figured what the hell. It wasn't like he knew where I was anyway, and if he started yelling I could always hang up.

"What in the hell do you want Morelli?" I answered my voice sharp.

"What in the hell do I want? I want to know why your crazy ass destroyed all of my clothes! I had to call in to work today! Do you know how that makes me look? Really Stephanie? I knew you were bat shit crazy but this is extreme! Even for you!" Morelli was yelling.

I smiled and chuckled into the phone, "Oh honey, you haven't seen bat shit crazy yet." Then I hung up. I was through talking to the idiot. He deserved everything I did and more. I briefly thought about calling Eddie to let him know what had really happened but figured he'd hear about it soon enough from my mother's gossip. Shrugging I leaned against the counter, Morelli should've known better.

Mary Lou came into the kitchen with her three kids behind her. I sat back and watched as she handled her household like a well oiled machine. She sat the kids at the table to do homework while she started on dinner. Once they were done she sent them up to wash up and poured herself a glass of wine. Taking a sip she raised her eyebrows at me. I took that as my clue to start setting the table. I ignored her chuckles as I looked through her cabinets locating dishes, silverware, and glassware.

I then retreated to the breakfast area and waited on food to be done. When Mary Lou announced dinner was ready we all sat down to a delicious meal of Pasta Prima-vera, bread sticks, a side salad and dessert of chocolate cake. After dinner Mary Lou sent the kids through their bedtime routines, and I let her know I was going to bed early. I had a busy day tomorrow and knew I'd need all the rest I could get. I was a little embarrassed to admit it to myself but Mary Lou's couch was more comfortable than my old bed. Snuggling into the pillows I let myself be lulled to sleep with plans of a brighter future running through my head.

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I really appreciate the feedback and support y'all. All mistakes are my own. On that not I'd be willing to bring on a Beta if someone could explain exactly what a beta does. As always thank you so much for the support and as long as the story has interest I will continue to write it.**


	4. Gonna to Do it Right This Time Around

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' chapter title comes from Daughtry's 'It's Not Over'**

I was used to control. I liked having control over my life and to a lesser level the lives of those around me. So why was it that one little curly haired brunette could make me lose control of myself? My life used to be neat and orderly until the bombshell that was Stephanie Plum dropped into my life. That little girl had torn into my life like a tornado and flipped my world upside down. A woman who was barely five foot four and weighed a hundred and thirty pounds soaking wet, maybe had completely changed my life. Mine, Ricardo Carlos Manoso, the bad ass known as Ranger was completely wrapped around the fingers of Stephanie the 'Bombshell Bounty Hunter' Plum's capable fingers.

She hated the nickname 'Bombshell Bounty Hunter' but that's exactly what she was, and not just because she had a habit of getting her cars blown up and apartments firebombed. She was absolutely gorgeous, but she didn't see it. She was fragile but could put on a brave face with the best of them, and often times could back it up. I'd never be able to thank her enough for saving Julie, or for helping me clear my name with the Ramos fiasco.

I had told her time and again there was no price for her, and it was true. There was no limit to the lengths I would go for her. I'd gladly set the world on fire and watch it burn if it meant she would be happy at the end of it all. She had belonged to another man, but I was selfish. I wanted her. I wanted to drink her in and consume her, I wanted her to douse the fire she had lit in my soul, and I wanted to crawl inside her and never leave. She was better than any drug, and far more addictive. I'd foolishly thought that one night would be enough. That twelve hours with her between the sheets would get her out of my system.

When I left the next morning and sent her back to Morelli I felt like a damn fool. I knew after having her that twelve hours wasn't enough. Twelve life times wouldn't have been enough for me. She made me crazy with want and need and worry. She could make me smile like no other, but she could also set forth a hot volcano of fury before she turned around and settled it with one touch. It was one of the many reasons I would steal kisses from her lips every chance I got, regardless of who was watching. The reason I let the people on the street say she was my woman, even when she wasn't.

She called me Batman, said I was her dark knight always coming in to save the day. I thought she was crazy, because at least Batman got to keep the girl. My stupid ass had sent her right back into the arms of another man, telling her my lifestyle didn't lend itself to relationships. Those words were coming back to bite me now. I slammed my hand against the steering wheel and cursed. She wanted to be _just friends_ , and I knew she would refuse any favors I tried to give her. That made my heart drop and my blood run cold. Didn't she realize how much danger she could be in?

I knew I shouldn't have kissed her like that. Like I was saying goodbye. I knew no matter what I would never be able to fully let her go. She could tell me to leave and although she wouldn't see me, I'd still be around. I'd still try my damnedest to keep her safe. I knew she attracted danger like a flame did a moth. But did she realize the danger she was constantly in? Would constantly be in if I gave in and acknowledged we had more than just a friends with benefits thing going on.

Of course not. She never thought about the danger she could be in, just went in blind, feet first and hoped she'd be able to touch bottom. I cursed again. I needed to let off some steam so I drove towards Haywood. I intended to spend a few hours in the gym with a punching bag, but I'd also be willing to take on a sparring partner if any of my men were dumb enough to cross me in this mood. I knew they'd know something was up between me and Stephanie as soon as I walked in the door. She was the only woman who could make me lose my control like this.

I rode the elevator to six where the gym was and started punching the heavy bag bare handed. I needed to feel the sting, I needed to feel something other than the complete sense of loss because she had finally made up her mind. I stood there for what might have been hours hitting the bag repeatedly. It was soothing in its own way. I knew I was drenched in sweat but I didn't care. Finally my arms felt too heavy to lift anymore and I decided to call it a night. Maybe I could try calling and talking to my Babe tomorrow.

RM&SP*RM&SP*RM&SP*RM&SP*

I woke up the next morning bright and early. I headed back down to the gym and decided to run on the treadmill. I kept my breathing steady and measured as I ran. Tank came in as I was entering mile eight and started running next to me. He didn't say anything just started up the treadmill next to me and started going through the paces. The next two miles were run in silence and as I entered my cool down period I was only slightly surprised to see Tank start his as well. Looks like he has something to say after all.

"Boss, I don't enjoy this anymore than you, but I drew the short straw. Wanna tell me what's up between you and Bomber?" He spoke, his deep timbre reverberated against the wall. I honestly didn't want to say what Stephanie had told me out loud. Especially without talking to her first.

I glared at him hoping he'd get the point and leave. No such luck. It was on of the cons of knowing each other for so long. Tank was no longer intimidated by me the same way the other guys were. As such he had no problem calling me on my bullshit. I was tempted to roll my eyes but years of self control prevented it.

"She wants to be friends." I nearly growled, "Just. Friends."

He'd stopped the treadmill and turned to me raising an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "And you're fine with that? With being just her friend? Cause from where I'm standing you don't look fine."

I glared at him and stopped my treadmill. "No, I'm not okay with it. I'm working on a plan to change her mind. But we both know how stubborn she is, it could take some time." I ran my fingers through my hair and sighed. My babe had a stubborn streak a mile wide, and I knew from experience that trying to push her wouldn't get any worthwhile results. I looked at my watch and sighed. 7:15 am, I needed to shower and eat. Then I had a meeting at eight. As much as I enjoyed talking about my personal life with Tank I needed to continue my day.

I grinned at him then headed up to seven. I showered and ate a light breakfast of egg white omelette, mixed berries and whole grain toast. Twigs and bark as Babe liked to say. I allowed my face to become stoic and headed down to the conference room for my first meeting of the day.

I sat in the conference room for hours, facing one meeting after another. Disgruntled high profile clients. New security plans that needed to be implemented. And a few employees that needed to request time off for special contracts. By the time I was through it was nearing two a clock in the evening. Standing up I stretched and headed down to check on the monitor room. Imagine my surprise when I heard Santos on the phone.

"Santos" I heard. I stopped outside and listened. It was unusual for Santos to answer his phone during the work day, so I hoped for his sake this was important.

"Sure thing, Beautiful. I'll schedule you for my next class Wednesday night at six pm. Don't be late." He hung up chuckling. I felt my anger start to rise. There was only one woman Lester called Beautiful like that and it was my Babe.

"Santos! Report!" I barked. I felt a burning need to take him to the mats but couldn't until he gave me an actual reason to. And frankly I was hoping he'd give me a reason.

"All's clear on the monitors boss." Lester told me still grinning from his phone call.

"Then do you want to explain to me why you answered your phone just then?" I almost snarled. I knew Lester had a thing for my Babe. Half the guys in my workforce did. They saw what I did, that she was strong, resilient, and drop dead gorgeous.

"Just setting up an appointment for a self defense class at the Y. You know the one you told me I had to go teach to help Rangeman's reputation." The fucker was smiling at me. I knew all about that class. The question was why was my Babe going there instead of coming to me. Then it hit me; she really did mean no favors of any kind.

I stormed away from Santos and headed towards the gym. I couldn't hit the bags per Bobby's request, but I could lift weights. As I stood there letting my mind fall into the rhythm of using the free weights I started to plan. Maybe I should be the one to take over Lester's class Wednesday night. I knew my Babe, and I knew she'd try to put as much space as possible between us. I wasn't going to let that happen. Grinning I dropped the weights and headed to seven. I needed to refine my plan. Maybe if I played my cards right I could get my Babe to forget all about being _just friends_.

 **A/N: I just want to say thank you for all of the amazing reviews. As some requested, and because I couldn't get the thought out of my head there was Ranger's POV. Please be honest if I messed anything up. I feel like he might loosen up a bit more around the guys at Rangeman while still keeping his thoughts to himself. As always thanks so much for the feedback and support and as long as people show interest I will take this story as far as I can.**


	5. Want you to learn to let go

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything recognizable belongs to Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' chapter title comes from Damian Rice's song "Rootless Trees".**

I had spent most of the morning looking at two separate apartments. The first was nice with carpeted floors, granite counter tops and a modest bathroom. But it just didn't feel like home. The second was closer with a carpeted bedroom, hardwood linoleum in the rest of the apartment, and a private balcony. However the bathroom and kitchen left much to be desired. So now I was pulling in to the lot of the third apartment complex. It was a gated community with the leasing office set up front with a small parking lot.

Looking over the grounds made me smile, it was obviously well cared for. There was solid metal fencing all the way around the property and a large embankment covered in thorn bushes covered one side, before leading into the parking lot of a large church. I walked into the office and shook hands with the leasing agent. Angie Wentworth was in her mid forties with a severe soccer mom hair cut. She was short and thin and dressed in a slick business suit.

"Miss Plum, a pleasure to meet you. If you'd like I can give you a brief tour of the property before taking you to look at a potential apartment." She smiled. I nodded my acquiesce. She led me through the back of the leasing office to what she called the club house. It was large with several tv's placed strategically throughout the room. Plush couches covered in tan micro fiber dominated the room, with smaller arm chairs pressed into the corners for a sense of privacy. There was a small coffee cart next to a set of french doors, it held one of the fancier single cup Keurig machines and I smiled as I noticed their selection of coffee.

Angie turned to me and mentioned, "Here is where we will have events on occasion. Through there is a small dining area with an adjacent kitchenette. Down this hallway is the gym with and attached tanning room. We also offer business rooms complete with high-speed internet, a printer and fax machine." I followed her as she pointed everything out. I knew as much as I hated exercise it was probably a good idea to make use of the gym. And being able to use the computers and printer could be very helpful in capturing FTA's.

We were headed outside and I smiled at the sight of the pool. "Now, the pool is heated and hours are from ten in the morning til ten in the evening. We also have a heated hot tub. Food is allowed as long as it's kept in the areas with tables. I'd like to remind you that if you do decide to rent with us there is no lifeguard on duty." Angie said.

Now we also have a playground and a dog park. It's up to you if you'd like to see them." at my head shake she smiled then said, "Very well if you'll follow me." I walked behind her and noticed a small pond with a walking area around it. Maybe I wouldn't take up running just yet, but I was sure I could handle walking the trail. Angie and I got into a golf-cart and she drove to a building on the other side of the complex. I liked the look of the place. It was a stone brick with cream paneling. There were three garages set in between each main apartment area.

"The apartment we're looking at today is on the second floor. Unfortunately we don't have elevators in the buildings so you'll have to take the stairs." Angie said walking up. She unlocked the door to the far apartment and stepped aside allowing me entrance. The first thing I noticed was the amount of natural light pouring through the large windows. followed by a door that led outside to the balcony. The floors were real hardwood, and flowed seamlessly into the kitchen which had tile flooring. The counter tops were solid granite in a light stone gray cabinets were a dark wood color and the appliances were stainless steel. I walked into the bedroom and smiled. The walls were painted the same cream color as the rest of the apartment. I opened the far door and had to contain myself from jumping for joy.

Inside was every Jersey girl's dream closet. It was set up with racks to hang clothes on three of the walls. The wall next to the door had a floor to ceiling shelving system for shoes and accessories. Underneath the racks the shelving flowed effortlessly. Above the racks was plenty of storage space. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Backing out of the room I walked across to the other door.

Inside was a large bathroom. A garden tub dominated the room, with Jack and Jill sinks sitting on a counter running from the door to the tub. The toilet was tucked away behind the door and a separate shower was pushed into the far corner. The flooring was tile and the walls were a light blue color. Walking back into the living room I smiled at Angie.

"When can I move in?" I asked.

Angie smiled back at me, "Well, if we sign the papers today and you pay all the fees today, we can allow you to move in on Friday morning."

I grinned and followed Angie back to the golf cart. On the way to the leasing office I noticed my new neighbors walking around the trail. Some waved and nodded, others were preoccupied with their families or pets. I smiled back and felt like this could be the perfect fit for me.

I left the leasing office an hour later and about fifteen hundred dollars broker. It was a really good deal though, I signed a year long lease at an amazing discount. I would only have to pay eight hundred dollars a month for the duration of my lease agreement. I would still have to pay lights and water, but it was well worth it compared to my previous apartment and it certainly beat living with my parents.

I decided to head towards Hamilton to scope out the bond's office and maybe see if I could get Lula to go furniture shopping with me. No sooner had I pulled up to Hamilton did I begin to regret my choice. Morelli's green explorer was parked outside the bonds office and he was leaning against the hood. I sidled up to the curve and walked right past him. Or at least I attempted to. As I was walking past him, he reached out and grabbed my wrist. I stopped and turned glaring at him.

"You've got three seconds to let go of my wrist before I decide to shoot you, Morelli." I was proud of myself for keeping my voice level. Sure my gun was somewhere in a cookie jar in a box at Mary Lou's house, but Morelli didn't need any confirmation on that. When he didn't release me I tugged hard on my arm but he only tightened his grip.

"Sorry, _Cupcake_. No can do. I'm placing you under arrest for vandalism. And attempted assault." He smiled. I glared and yanked harder. When he still didn't release my wrist I turned to the window and shouted for Lula and Connie. Thankfully they had their noses pressed against the front glass and were out the door and pulling on my other arm in no time.

"Call Eddie and Carl at the station! And tell Vinnie to meet me down at the jail. Connie will you drive my car down so I have something to drive back tonight?" I yelled while Joe wrangled me into the back of his Explorer. I stopped fighting so hard, now that I had alerted Lula and Connie of what was going on.

They stood back and nodded both glaring daggers at Morelli. I yanked out of his arms and tried to slide into the backseat as gracefully as possible. Which unfortunately wasn't all that graceful at all. I sat back and waited for Morelli to drive us to the station fuming. He wanted to play hard ball? Well I was game, and I was gonna make damn sure Morelli paid for this little stunt.

 **A/N: Wow I'm shocked by the response I've gotten for this story so far. I just wanna say thank you to all of you who have reviewed. It really means a lot to me. As always as long as people are interested in this story I will continue and take it as far as I can. Sorry this chapter is so much shorter than the rest, but I'm trying to keep up daily updates.**


	6. Idle Hand's are the Devil's Handiwork

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' chapter title comes from Lee Ann Rimes song 'Nothing Better to Do".**

As Morelli puled into the parking lot of the Trenton Police Department I folded my arms and glared at him. Maybe if I was lucky I could burn a hole through his thick cheating head. It wasn't working yet but a girl could hope. He slammed the car in park and opened my door grabbing me roughly by the arm and dragging me through the back door. Guess I wouldn't be saying hi to Big Dog today. He pulled me behind him through a few twisting hallways and I knew he was simply trying to confuse me so I would be less tempted to run off. Problem was I knew he had no jurisdiction when it came to me due to our history.

So he could claim to have arrested me all he wanted to but we both knew it wasn't the truth. I briefly wondered if this constituted as kidnapping, and if it did would I be willing to go through the court system to deal with Morelli. Not really. I hated court rooms. They made me itch worse than hospitals, and that was saying something. Morelli finally stopped at an interrogation room and shoved me inside before slamming the door shut and walking away. He really was an idiot because he'd left me with my phone. I picked it up and called Eddie.

"Eddie, I need your help." I sighed tapping my fingers against the plain metal table in front of me. Why did these rooms have to be so sterile looking. I knew I wasn't one to confess anything in this kind of setting. But hey, I wasn't a hardcore criminal either. If you wanted a confession out of me the best way to get it was with a few TastCakes and some coffee. What could I say I was a simple kind of girl.

"Of course you do Steph. What'd you do blow up another car? Or find another dead body for me to clean up?" Eddie chirped into the phone. I grinned at that, it was true I was usually blowing up one car or another, and I did have a penchant for finding dead bodies.

"Not my fault Eddie. Look Morelli's lost his freaking mind and has me holed up in one of your interrogation rooms. Claims he's got me under arrest for vandalism and attempted assault. Problem is I wasn't booked and the idiot didn't take my phone. Mind coming to find me and getting me out of here?" I asked already knowing he'd say yes. Eddie Gazarra and Joseph Morelli might be on the same police force, but I was Eddie's family. Through marriage sure, but that didn't mean he'd want to set up all night listening to my cousin Shirley complain about having me held under false pretenses.

I heard him curse over the phone, "Yeah, yeah. Let me take a look at the cameras and see if I can figure out where you are, then I'll come get you." He told me before hanging up.

I smiled and figured I'd buy him pizza and beer later to make up for being a constant pain in his ass. As I sat down to wait I checked my email, then my Facebook and finally braved twitter. Ever since Grandma Mazur had figured out the tech for working twitter was simple enough for her to use, it was hit or miss on what would pop up in my feed. Some days I got cute cats and funny videos. Others were of her in a bikini, like today. Grimacing I logged out of twitter and made a mental note to try and bleach my brain later.

Just as I was getting comfortable to wait Morelli stormed in with a smug smile on his face. "Now Cupcake, we're gonna have a little chat. Here's how it's gonna go. We're gonna sort out this whole Terri mess, you're gonna come back home with me and tell everyone this was one big misunderstanding. We're gonna get engaged, you're going to quit your job. We'll get married. You'll pop out a few kids and ignore any future indiscretions I might make because you love me." He said this all very slowly and overly enunciated.

I wished I had my stun gun with me, cause right now there was nothing more I'd like to do than to send a few thousand volts straight to his boys. He was a chauvinistic pig and I really wish I had slammed the door in his face when he showed up to my apartment after he got cleared of charges. Typical of Morelli to think he could continue to screw with my life, he'd been doing it since I was six years old.

"No." I told him clearly. I took supreme satisfaction in the shade of red his face took on. I could almost see his ears starting to leak smoke. Thankfully before he could start up again Eddie walked through the door. I stood up and went to stand by him.

"Morelli." Eddie said sending him a level glare. Morelli for his part met Eddie's glare evenly.

"Gazarra. This doesn't concern you. I was just talking to Stephanie about some personal issues." Morelli snarled shooting a death glare my way.

"Oh I'm sure you were, but we got reports of you forcing her into the back of your car claiming to be placing her under arrest. Imagine my surprise when I looked and saw that Stephanie had no arrest warrant out on her, she hadn't been booked and was being held in an interrogation room without just cause. I'll be turning in a report detailing all of this, and you'll be put under investigation." Eddie told him placing me behind him slightly. I took the hint and backed out into the hallway. Eddie backed out with me and shut the door in Morelli's face before he could go on another rampage.

I turned to Eddie and gave him a slight hug. "Thanks Eddie, you might wanna suggest a psychiatric evaluation while you're at it." That caused him to laugh, but I was only half joking. Morelli wasn't acting like himself and his behavior in there had started to scare me. It was like he was obsessed, and I really didn't want him to become a stalker.

Eddie shrugged and led me out to the parking lot where Connie was waiting, along with someone I hadn't told them to call. Ranger was standing next to his Porsche Cayenne looking like sex on legs. His hair was hanging loose and tousled, his standard black cargo's were hanging low on his hips, and his black t shirt looked painted on. He raised one eyebrow at me and I tried to keep myself under control.

I was chanting 'just friends' like a mantra as I walked closer to them. Connie looked at me and then Ranger before smiling and heading out without a word. What a great support she was. I turned to Eddie to thank him but he just grinned at me.

"Don't sweat it Steph. You can buy me pizza and beer another time. I'm gonna stay here and keep an eye on Morelli to make sure he cools down." Eddie told me with a playful push. He really was a big kid sometimes.

I nodded my appreciation and turned back to Ranger who looked like he was thinking of smiling. I straightened my shoulders and walked to him thinking I could do this to myself. When I was in arms reach Ranger gently grabbed my wrist and examined it. It was starting to bruise but it wasn't swollen yet. His touch was gentle as he prodded around checking for any serious damage.

I blew out a huff of air and rolled my eyes, "I'm fine Ranger, you didn't have to come."

He stared at me disbelievingly and said, "Babe." I felt my resolve start to weaken and quickly built to resolve it. I needed to put distance between us. And I needed to retrieve my car before it was stripped for parts on the side of the road.

"Well, since you're here and Connie ditched me, would you mind giving me a ride to the bonds office so I can pick up my car. If not I can call a ca-" Before I could finished he had the door open to his Porsche and he gently ushered me in. He reached across to fasten me in, then closed the door. Less than a minute later he was in his seat and we were headed back to Hamilton. Didn't look like I was going to be picking up any FTA's today.

The drive was silent but I noticed Ranger seemed distracted. His hand would drift towards my thigh before he'd pull it back . I don't think he knew that I noticed. A muscle was twitching in his jaw and it looked like he was holding something back. I stared out the window to keep myself distracted from him, but it wasn't really working. He docked his Cayenne behind my Cherokee. I turned to him to tell him thanks, but before I could get a word in edgewise his lips were on mine.

I tried not to melt, I really did, but Ranger was captivating in everything he did. He slid one hand into my hair and tilted my head back to give himself better access. His tongue slid into my mouth and I was completely enveloped in him. His taste and smell consumed me and I felt myself become light headed. He pulled away slightly.

"Tell yourself whatever you want Babe, but we'll never be just friends. You mean more to me than that." He pressed a light kiss on my lips then released my hair. I stared at him in shock for a moment then stumbled out of the car. My mind was reeling.

Why did Ranger have to send me such mixed signals? Wasn't it only yesterday he had kissed me with a finality then walked away? My brain and heart were in such a mess over him and I knew I needed to sort it out. I drove blindly to Mary Lou's thankful that I made it there in one piece. I needed to talk to her. Both about what had happened between me and Ranger today, and what Morelli had done. And how I was gonna get back at Morelli for being such a prick.

But it would apparently have to wait until I pulled into the drive all the lights were off in the house. Guess she and Lenny had chosen to head to bed early tonight. Glancing at the clock on the mantle I decided to turn in. How did such an amazing day turn into a confusing night?

I figured I'd sleep on it and feel better in the morning. Going through my nightly routine I was asleep within minutes of laying on the couch. Flashes of Ranger drifted through my subconscious with one clear thought, I meant something to him, but it might not be enough.

 **A/N: Once again thank you so much for the reviews. I am absolutely astounded at the support that has been shown so far. Don't think that Morelli's gonna get off that easy either. And Ranger's got a plan, don't worry. As always as long as support is shown for this story I will continue it.**


	7. Love Just Ain't Enough

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything Recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' Chapter title comes from Patty Smith's song 'Sometimes Love just ain't enough.'**

I woke early the next morning to the smell of bacon. Stumbling my way to the kitchen I smiled at Mary Lou. She was standing in front of the stove pointing to a cup of steaming coffee. A stack of pancakes was sitting on the table next to it with a pool of syrup overflowing off of them. She turned off the stove burner and added bacon to a smaller plate in front of the pancakes.

"What's all this?" I asked slightly shocked but touched. I slid onto one of the bar stool's she had set up by the island. Mary Lou was like most women in the Burg, and used food to show their emotions. If they were angry? They cooked. Happy? They were cooking. If there was an emotion out there for them to express they cooked to let you know how they felt. Unfortunately I spent most of my time growing up trying to be Wonder Woman, so I skipped out on the cooking lessons with my mom and Valerie. Of course Valerie's pretentiousness and over all perfect daughter routine didn't endear me to spending more time with her than absolutely necessary.

"I heard about what Morelli yesterday. The rat bastard."She told me that was while gesturing for me to eat. She didn't have to tell me twice. I started shoveling the goodness that was bacon dipped in syrup into my mouth and let out a moan. Mary Lou got me, after a crappy day like yesterday, food would make me better. I glanced up at her and put down my fork. That reminded me of the fact that I needed to get back at him.

"Speaking of Morelli, wanna help me get back at him?" I grinned. Mary Lou nodded eagerly and leaned on the island resting on her elbows.

"What do you have in mind?" She asked. I smiled and I'm not to ashamed to admit it probably looked evil. Morelli was known for being popular among the ladies of the Burg, and the best way to counteract his popularity was a rumor. I knew Joe wasn't likely to keep it between just two women if he decided to cheat. Everyone knew know he had slept with Terri Gilman now, but I was sure there were other women. And I knew just how to draw them out.

"We're going to let it slip the Morelli got some girl pregnant. We're not going to say any names, but we will be telling people that Joe admitted it to me. We'll say he told me he threw a few thousand dollars at the girl and told her to take care of it. Knowing the asshole it wouldn't surprise me if he actually did do something like that." I told her leaning back slightly.

Was it a bitch move? Sure. But Morelli had been a complete dick when he made the ignorant decision to falsely arrest me. So I was going to make his life hell. Sighing I looked at my watch and figured I might be able to get some furniture shopping done before my class with Lester tonight. Mary Lou smiled and was already on the phone letting this new information leak out to the Burg's grapevine.

When Mary Lou hung up she was grinning like the Cheshire cat, "Apparently your story's not that far off. That was Julia Garcia, you remember her from high school, well her third cousin's sister claims to be pregnant by Morelli. Says he told her she was a lying whore and that the kid wasn't his. Slimy bastard."

I felt yet another blow against my armor. I had suspected Morelli might have done something similar when he told me about Terri, but to hear it from the Burg's grapevine made my stomach sink. Someone had to have known, but didn't think to tell me. Morelli was popular, but I didn't think he'd be _that_ popular. I shook my head and pushed my half eaten plate of pancakes away, no longer hungry.

"Yeah. Anyway. Wanna come furniture shopping with me today? I've practically got to re-buy everything." I asked her, while I cleared my plate off into the trash. As much as I hated to admit it, I was stunted in the interior decorating department, and Mary Lou was basically a domestic goddess.

"Sure. Let me grab my keys and let Lenny know he'll have to pick the kids up, then we'll go look around. And you can tell my about your new digs." She told me already headed upstairs. I never understood her need to keep her keys and purse upstairs instead of down by the front door. But with three kids maybe it was necessary for all the times they'd come looking for last minute field trip money.

She was barely gone for a total a five minutes before she was back. I could wait to shower, but I wasn't leaving the house without mascara and a quick change of clothes. Ten minutes later we were leaving her house and headed to some of the nicer thrift stores. Sure the stuff might be second or forth hand, but if you looked closely you could sometimes find some real gems.

I pulled out of the Burg and decided to drive up towards my new apartment. Pulling on to Cedar Lane I drove the mile and a half before pulling into the leasing offices parking lot. I smiled at Mary Lou, and waited for her response.

" _This_ is where you live? These apartments can cost over two-thousand dollars a month Steph! They're owned by Alexander Ramos and his family. Jeez, how are you gonna be able to afford this? Not that I don't think you can, but does bounty hunting really bring in that much money?" She rambled off, her eyes as big as saucers.

I felt mine goes just as big. Alexander Ramos owned these apartments, no wonder I had gotten such a good deal on my new place. Alexander had told me he would help me in any way possible, and I had no doubt he had a hand in this. Sneaky. I was impressed.

I shook off those thoughts and realized that I was just staring at Mary Lou gaping like a fish.

"Uh, no. More like I've got a very good Guardian Angel watching over me." I told her and felt no truer words had been spoken. Pulling out of the complex I sighed, I was gonna have to talk to Alexander Ramos to see what I would owe him for this favor. But first furniture shopping.

Mary Lou and I spent the next several hours browsing the shops. I had found a nice oak dining table with chairs that actually matched for seventy-five dollars, a comfortable worn out couch that was covered in a vertical stripes pattern for fifty bucks, and I splurged on a new-ish king sized bed frame with box frame and mattress included for five hundred big ones. All in all not a bad day. I knew my mother and Grandma Mazur would probably hand off things that they claimed to no longer need, which would most likely all be bought from garage sells or the local thrift stores.

I set up the pickup date for Friday afternoon, knowing I'd have to call Carl Constanza to borrow his truck in trade for pizza and beer. I looked at my watch and told Mary Lou it was time to go back home. We stopped off at Pino's for a couple of meatball subs and milkshakes before I drove us to her house. I sighed wistfully at her modest home. Maybe one day I'd be a homeowner, but until I got my stuff together I didn't think it'd be happening any time soon.

RM&SP*RM&SP*RM&SP*RM&SP*

I pulled into the parking lot of the YMCA at ten minutes til six. I wasn't too early, but surprisingly I wasn't late like I was typically. I walked up to the front desk and told the bored looking receptionist what I was there for. She gave me a once over and rolled her eyes bore pointing me in the right direction. Sheesh, they really should work on their customer service here.

I walked down the hallway to the women's locker rooms and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. I looked down at the shirt and blew out a huff of air. Of course the Rangeman logo was printed across my boobs. Well if Lester smarted off about it I'd knee him in his gonads. I left the locker room and headed down the hallway to the designated training room and stopped dead in my tracks.

Instead of seeing Lester's lean build with blonde tipped hair standing at the front of the room, I saw Ranger's powerful build. He had his arms crossed and was staring at me with a look that made me think he was thinking about smiling. Great. I was gonna kill Lester.

Walking to the center of the room I stood trying to match his stare. I knew it was likely impossible but I wasn't going down with out a fight. I glanced around the room after a few minutes waiting for someone else to show up. At his raised eyebrow I silently cursed. Dammit, now I was _really_ going to kill Lester.

"Nice shirt Babe." He told me walking closer and once again I found myself comparing him to a sleek jungle cat. Every bit a graceful as he was deadly. He was trying to rile me up, to get me to react without thinking, but even I knew better than that. So I moved with him, never taking my eyes off of his form.

He smirked at that before grabbing me by wrist and pulling me close. I felt my breath leave me and decided to take a trip to denial land. I was not breathless because of his proximity. Not. At. All. He turned me around in his arms and crossed one arm over my chest above my boobs, and the other across my hips pinning my arms to my sides.

"When an attacker has you like this, what's the first thing you should do?" He whispered in my ear. I tried to ignore the seductive tone of his voice, but with Ranger that was impossible, everything about him was seductive. I tried to clear my thought process enough to give him a clear answer.

"Um, uh scream?" I told him cautiously. His chuckle told me I was probably wrong, but I had managed to amuse him.

"No Babe. If you're ever in this position the first thing you should do is dead weight, then take your right foot and slam it into theirs. You shouldn't have a problem doing that with your heels or boots, but you need the force behind it. Go ahead and try now." He told me brushing his nose against my throat.

Normally I would hesitate, mostly because I wasn't a naturally violent person, but right now I felt the urge to be violent. So I let myself go limp and brought my right foot up then down on Ranger's, _hard_. I felt a surge of disappointment when it didn't even cause a response. Well damn. That just sucked.

He must of picked up on my mood, because he pulled away and turned me around to face him. Ranger's eyes were sparkling with mischief and a grin was threatening to break out on his face. Typically that would be enough to turn me into a puddle of goo at his feet, but all it really did was piss me off. I was tired of being his amusement.

I was tired of being a laughing stock for not being able to defend myself properly. And I was beyond tired of this push and pull between us. Ranger had made his intentions clear before, but now he was claiming I meant more to him. I glared at him and turned to walk out of the room. I didn't need this. I didn't need him. I was going to prove it. One way or another.

"Babe?" He questioned reaching for my arm. I shook him off and was relieved when he let me go.

"Tell Lester if he can't show up next time to call me and we'll reschedule." I told him heading for the door. I felt the air between us shift with the strain of the conversation we were about to have. I closed my eyes and sent up a brief prayer that we'd come out of this unscathed and better for it.

"You'd rather have Lester train you, than me? The guy who all of my men admit is the best out of all of us?" His voice was quiet and I had to restrain myself from flinching. Everyone knew that a quiet Ranger was a dangerous Ranger.

I nodded and choked out a "Yes." This time I did flinch when I heard his muttered curse. He grabbed me by my shoulder and turned me around to face him.

"Why Babe? Why won't you let me teach you? Why are you pulling away from me, from us?" He asked staring at me imploringly. And I felt myself break. Ranger didn't show emotion. The most I'd ever seen him display was when Julie had been taken by Scrogg. So to see him looking at me in such a way made my heart break.

"Because you're not ready for a relationship, and I can't just be your fuck buddy Ranger. And because while you love me in your own way, _I love you in every way_. And I can't ask you to give up any part of your life for me. So I'm trying to limit myself to being just your friend, because I'll take you any way I can get you. But even if you decided you were ready for a relationship right now, _I'm not_. I need to get myself sorted Ranger, and I have to do it on my own." I told him wiping away the tears that had started to fall. I hadn't meant to reveal that much and now that Ranger was staring at me blankly I was regretting it.

I backed away from him and ran to the women's locker room before he had a chance to say anything else. I would hide out here all night if I had to. I couldn't face him right now. I had told him I loved him, and he just stared blank face. Yeah, love definitely wasn't enough.

 **A/N: Sorry for the long delay, but with Father's day this past weekend I spent most of my time with my husband and son, doing things hubby wanted to. And yesterday I had my final. As always I am blown away by the support this story has gotten so far. Next up is going to be in Ranger's POV. Tell me what you think. As per usual as long as I've got support for this story I'll take it as far as I can.**


	8. Gonna Make You Mine

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song "Dirty Laundry". Chapter title comes from High Valley's song 'Make You Mine'.**

I was a difficult man to shock. I had faced walking into situations knowing I'd be shot and possibly killed without missing a beat. I'd killed men bare handed at the bequest of Uncle Sam, without loosing too much sleep. I was able to handle most anything. Except when it came to one Stephanie Plum. She broke every one of my walls down without even trying, and tore through expectations like wrapping paper on Christmas morning. She was the reason I was currently sitting dumbfounded in a mirrored room at the local YMCA.

I was sure I had what some people would refer to as a shell shocked expression donning my face. My Babe had finally told me she loved me. And before I could get my head out of my ass and respond to her, she had fled from me. I watched her run from me like the Devil himself were on her heels. My Babe loved me, in every way, and I was too stupid to tell her I felt the same. I wanted to rush out and find her, but knew in my heart that it would cause more trouble than good right now. I needed to find a way to fix this.

I put stipulations on our relationship to protect her, and myself. I knew that she could one day hold the power to destroy me completely. Hell, she probably already did if I was being honest. It was one of the reasons I was so determined to keep her safe. She was mine. My student, my partner, and eventually she would be my lover. No. Lover sounded too impersonal. Like the term she had used to describe our relationship.

I was so stupid for all the times I had sent her back to Morelli. For all the times I had told her my kind of love came with a condom, not a ring. For telling her she was a line item in my budget listed under entertainment. For ever thinking that I could just love her in my own way. I knew the moment she allowed herself to be bait to save my daughter, a girl she had never even met, that this woman had stolen my heart and run away with it.

I would never admit it out loud but her referring to us as ' _Fuck buddies_ ' hurt worse than her plea to be ' _just friends_ '. I would never consider her just a ' _fuck buddy_ ', she was more to me than that. Didn't she see that she meant more to me? Sure, I had never said it, but I tried to show it in every way I knew. Anytime she called, I was there for her, and if I couldn't be I sent one of my men.

I assigned her armed guards when someone was out to get her. I gave her cars to drive when some maniac blew one of hers up, or when they destroyed my cars. I always went to her apartment to check on her after she'd had a particularly rough day. I tried to keep her best interests in mind, without smothering her. Although there were days where I just wanted to take her to a safe house and lock her up. Like Rapunzel in her tower.

But I knew better, Stephanie wasn't a dainty little princess. She was Wonder Woman without a doubt. She didn't always see herself that way, but I did. She was brave and fearless, strong and smart, and Dios, was she sexy. She defied all rules and obstacles put in her way, she had her own way of thinking and doing things and I loved her for it. So why couldn't I just say it?

Three little words and I could have my Babe in my arms right now. I relished the memory of holding her close moments ago. That was another reason I didn't want another man teaching her, I knew just how close people got while training. I also knew the science that attracted people to one another. I wasn't an overtly jealous man, but Babe was mine, and I'd be damned if I let any other man try to take her from me now.

I had sent her to Morelli, hoping that he could do what I wasn't able to at the time, and offer her a sense of stability. Oh I poached like hell, but could it really be considered poaching if she was really mine to begin with? I knew she was mine, but she didn't and at the time I still had a contract to uphold. A Contract I was now free from, but she wasn't ready. Too undecided about her feelings.

So I waited patiently, until the pressure became to much and I had to have her. I placed myself in her life, letting her know that I wasn't going anywhere. But she still wasn't ready for us. For me. I thought about it carefully. I'd give her her space. I'd let her find her own place again, but once she got there I would be ready to sweep her off her feet.

I knew I would have to work hard to keep myself at the forefront of my Babe's mind. I couldn't allow another Morelli to sneak through. I would be damned if I let another man get the chance to have her. Her mind, her time, and her body. Her soul was already too deeply intertwined with mine and I knew I had her heart. I smiled at that. Because when the time came and my Babe was ready and prepared for someday, I'd be waiting on her. She was worth it.

Getting up off the floor I called Rangeman Headquarters. I had gotten craftier at placing trackers on Stephanie's vehicles, choosing to have them installed in the door panels to prevent her finding them. She was too smart for her own good sometimes, and on occasion would go looking for the trackers just for shits and giggles. She loved driving my men and me insane. But we all loved her for it. She broke up the monogamy that was life.

"Report on Steph's whereabouts?" I spoke into the phone. Hal should be on monitor duty, which meant I would get my answer without any snarky comments from Woody. I rolled my eyes at that thought. It seemed like every single one of my employees sported a hard-on for my Babe. And those that didn't loved her like she was their sister.

Which reminded me to take Santos to the mats when I got back. What in the hell was he thinking scheduling a private class for her? She was off limits to him, but Santos and I shared a blood line, so I knew he wouldn't think twice about poaching. I was gonna make sure once and for all he realized that attempting to poach on this particular woman would be met with a potential death sentence.

"Looks like she headed back to the Chambersburg area, Boss. Most likely returning to Mary Lou's for the night." Woody told me. I hung up once the words left his mouth. It was a habit I knew irritated Stephanie, but years of being in the Army had made simplicity key. Get the information, get in, get out. It was functional and I saw no need to waste time with idle chit chat.

Good. Normally in the Burg my Babe was safe. Most of the psychos littered around Stark Street, and the shady downtown dealings were limited to the nighttime hours. As long as my Babe went to Mary Lou's she'd be safe. Of course things with my Babe rarely went as planned. She was a danger magnet of epic proportions, but I'd do anything to keep her safe from harm. I'd willingly step in front of bullets for her, allow myself to be hurt if I knew she'd be safe, hell I'd even die for her if necessary. I prayed it never came to that though, because I intended to spend a very long time loving her.

That was my biggest priority, keeping Babe safe. It was difficult, she seemed to find trouble wherever she went, whether it be the funeral home or simply out shopping. I needed to protect her. I needed her whole and happy, so that when she was ready I could let her know I loved her too. She needed to be strong, I knew what she was hoping to achieve and I would watch as she found that she could be successful without a man. But I would always be there to catch her if she fell.

And eventually I planned to make her my wife. Before I met Stephanie I swore I would never get remarried, thinking it would mean having to give control to someone else and give up doing the things I loved. But that was before. Now I willingly gave Stephanie so much control over me, I knew that if she wanted to I would be left a broken man. She held so much of me. My heart and soul were hers. Now and forever, and into the afterlife.

I knew she claimed to not want any of the frivolity that came with the Burg lifestyle, but I needed to have her become Mrs. Ricardo Carlos Manoso. My beautiful Babe deserved her fairy-tale ending with me, I wasn't Prince Charming by a long shot. But I'd make sure the rest of the world knew I was as much hers as she was mine. It was purely selfish, because I knew deep down that I wanted a way to show the world she was mine and off the market.

My woman, my love, my wife. _Mine_. If I had to step on a few toes and crack a few heads to get that, then so be it. But before this was all over I would have my Babe in my bed every night, with my name on her lips and my ring on her finger. I would have every part of her she was willing to give, and in return I would give her every part of me. I'd tell her anything she wanted to know about me, my hopes, my fears, my dreams. Everything. I'd keep her protected and safe from any thing and every one. Because she was my Babe.

Stephanie Michelle Plum would be my wife one day, so for now I was content to wait. I had spent years waiting for her quietly on the sidelines, but now I was going to do exactly what she had asked me too. I was going to fight for her. I'd be there at every turn, applying gentle pressure, letting her know that I wasn't going anywhere and that I was interested in more than just a one night stand. Never again would my Babe be a one night stand, because the next time I got her in my bed, I wasn't letting her leave.

 **A/N: So Ranger's finally realizing he needs to fight for Steph. But on her own terms. As always I am completely blown away by all of the support y'all have shown for this story. As long as y'all keep the support coming I'll keep the Chapters rolling out.**


	9. Cleaning the Slate

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Everything recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry. Chapter title from my own imagination.**

It was mid-afternoon and I was sitting on Mary Lou's couch after having a shower. It was well deserved, and very much needed after I had spent most of last night and this morning crying into her arms about what an idiot I'd been. I should've just kept my mouth shut last night. I had told Ranger I loved him and I had no doubts that Mr. 'Commitment Issues' would be running for the border right about now. Maybe it was for the best. Ranger and I needed space from one another. More importantly _I_ needed space from Ranger.

I was without a doubt in love with him, but he would never be able to commit to anything more than a one night stand with me. Which really, really sucked. Because sex with Ranger was phenomenal. He had told me once he would ruin me for all other men, and I was almost certain he had. Perhaps that's why I wasn't content in my relationship with Morelli, even before I found out that he lived up to his family legacy. There was no sense in pondering it now. Ranger was probably in the wind somewhere never to be seen again.

Pushing away those thoughts and my feelings about the situation, I debated going to see Alexander Ramos. I needed to talk to him to figure out why he was so interested in making my life easier. Sure, he'd proposed to me once, but I knew that there was no way he'd been serious. He just wanted someone to reign in his sons, and unfortunately for him that just wasn't a task I was up too. Especially considering Mr. Ramos had a list of wives that had all disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

I glanced at my phone surprised to see it ringing that particular ringtone. My godfather, former Police chief and current Mayor of Trenton was calling me. I held my breath and answered the phone, scared that maybe he would be angry or disappointed in me. I could handle my mother's whining and disappointments. And I knew I could handle my father's silent indifference to the things going on around him. But I would never be able to handle disappointing my Papa JJ.

"Papa JJ?" I asked tentative, hoping that using the name that I used to call him when I was a child would help his temper if he were angry. My godfather was Joe Juniak, and it was hard to throw a stone around in this city without someone singing his praises. He was Trenton's Golden Boy. He was known for being fair and just, but having a temper on him when he felt someone or something he cared about had been wronged. I still remember the fight he had with my father when Papa JJ found out that Morelli had written about taking my virginity on the floor of the Tasty Pastry when I was sixteen on the bathroom stalls. Needless to say he wasn't a man to anger.

"Hi, sweetheart. How are you feeling? I heard about that idiot Morelli." He told me his warm deep voice drifting through the phone. This was why I loved my Papa JJ so much, even when shit hit the proverbial fan no matter how busy he was, he always made time for me. Before he had become Mayor I would go to his office at the Trenton Police department on Saturday's for lunch and wee would catch each other up on our lives.

After he became Mayor the meetings stopped. He was too busy and so was I, but we still managed weekly phone calls.

"I'm feeling as well as can be expected Papa JJ. Mostly angry at Morelli for pulling this crap with me, but not all that surprised. I should've known better. Everyone knows the Morelli men are all a bunch of cheating, drinking, woman beaters. Thank God he wasn't stupid enough to actually hit me." I told him twirling a lock of hair between my fingers. Morelli men were known for being good at three things and three things only.

Everyone thought Joe would be the one to break the cycle but apparently he couldn't keep it in his pants.

"Ah, I'm sorry sweetheart. And it's a good thing he didn't. You've got too many protectors for him to survive that encounter. And I have too many associates that wouldn't mind dealing with him." He told me laughing. I couldn't help but chuckle at that. Papa JJ had alliances with nearly everyone in the Old Families. It made me wonder what he might know about Alexander Ramos' interest in me.

"Say, Papa JJ, what can you tell me about Alexander Ramos?" I asked crossing my fingers. Most men in the Burg didn't like revealing information to women. Thankfully Papa JJ wasn't like most men.

"Well, if it was anyone else I'd tell them he was a very dangerous man and that they should avoid him at all costs. Since it's you though and you've already made quite the impression on him, I'm going to tell you you have nothing to worry about. He knows you're my goddaughter, and that you've got Manoso sniffing around you. He wants you protected, just as I do. You know, if you ever feel like shaking Manoso, Alexander has a nice young nephew. All of his business is strictly legal too." He told me, and I slung my head back. He was starting to sound like my mother.

It was a good thing though that he and Ramos were such good friends. I would still be talking to Alexander to confirm I wouldn't owe him anything for him looking out for me, but for now I felt a weight lift off of my shoulders.

"Okay Papa JJ. I'll let you go now, I know you're a very busy man." I told him quietly. It still astounded me how someone who was so busy, still managed to make time for me.

"Of course sweetheart. And don't you worry about Morelli, he'll be staying far from you if he's smart. Gotta go." And like that he'd hung up the phone. I was starting to think most men lacked proper phone etiquette. Was it really so hard to wait for the other person to say goodbye?

Shaking my head I looked at my phone and noticed a text from Lester.

 **Sorry about last night Beautiful. Ranger took over my class and put me on monitor duty.**

Well that explained it. So for now he was off the hook. I knew I'd never be able to talk to him at Rangeman, so I texted him back asking him to meet me at Pino's later. I smiled when he texted back letting me know he'd be there. It was nearing four o' clock and I thought about going to see Alexander or my parents.

I knew Alexander was fond of me, but I didn't want to show up unexpectedly and stumble across something I shouldn't. Parent's house it was then. I wrote a note and left it on the counter for Mary Lou, letting her know I'd be home late and not to worry. I locked up behind me and headed towards my parents house in my Cherokee.

I could've walked, but considering I had plans for later, I figured driving would be best. My mother's child locator was fully functional. She was standing by the front door when I pulled up. I walked up the steps and she opened the door. "Oh, Steph. It's good to see you? How are you feeling? Do you want some pineapple upside down cake?" She asked in rapid succesion.

I sighed internally, my mother was feeling guilty. Not that she should, but she would none the less. She would blame herself for the deterioration of mine and Morelli's relationship, claiming that she pushed me too far into his arms. Which she did, but it wasn't her fault Morelli was a cheating scumbag. But I was getting cake out of the deal, so I would let her fuss for a while then assure her that none of this was in any way her fault.

I walked in and took my place at the kitchen table. My father was in his chair, eyes firmly glued to the television, and gave me a cursory 'Hey pumpkin' when he spotted me. I just nodded back. Grandma Mazur was no where to be seen and it made me wonder who had died.

"Mary Bell Fortina. Heart attack. She's at the funeral parlor, and thankfully it's open casket so there shouldn't be any calls." My mother told me. Even though we had our problems, my mother could still read me and tell what I was thinking. Of course when my thoughts concerned Grandma Mazur, there wasn't much to guessing.

Mom laid a plate of pineapple upside down cake in front of me with a hasty eat up. She didn't have to tell me twice. My mother made the best pineapple upside down cake in the tri-state area, and I was willing to place everything on it.

"I heard about what that Morelli boy did. Cheating on you was bad enough. But cheating on you and getting several women pregnant." She tsked," And then hauling you into the police station like some sort of common criminal when he's the one who was in the wrong. I'd like to wring his neck." She told me sitting down next to me.

My mother wasn't the only one. From what i'd heard, Morelli had a lot of pissed of brothers and fathers looking for him. Maybe he'd lay low for a while and leave me alone. It wasn't likely, but a girl could hope.

"I just can't believe he was so stupid to leave the shirt out." I told her. Morelli might have been full of himself and an ass, but he wasn't dumb. Most of the time. So him leaving the shirt out told me he wanted me to find it. Why, I didn't know. Maybe Morelli had finally lost all of his marbles.

My mother hummed comfortingly and patted my hand. She offered a second piece of cake, but I turned her down. It was now close to six and I needed to meet Lester at Pino's. On the drive over I saw Morelli's car sitting on the curb. The words 'dick', 'cheater' and 'asshole' had been spray painted all over it. Someone had even went as far as to place a boot on his car.

I laughed and continued driving to Pino's. Walking in I spotted Lester against the far wall and had to stop myself from gasping when I saw his face. Looked like Ranger had done a lot more than assign Lester to Monitor duty. I slid into the booth across from him and held my hands tightly in my lap.

Lester's cheek was showing signs of early bruising, and his knuckles were raw. Other than that he looked unscathed, but I couldn't see the rest of him. I felt my anger flare up when I looked at him.

"What the hell happened?" I hissed out trying to stay quiet. Honestly I didn't think Ranger would do this just because I went to Lester instead of him, but with Ranger you could never be too sure.

"I was advised to stop while I was ahead, and that poaching on you would be met with dire consequences. Cousin or not." He told me grimacing. He avoided looking directly at me instead staring at his clenched fists.

"He did what? He has no right! He has no claim on me. He made that very clear himself, a long, long time ago." I snarled. I couldn't believe Ranger would do this to one of his men simply because he was jealous. He had no reason to be jealous. I was a free woman. I could sleep with whomever I wanted too, be friends with who I wanted too, and I damn sure didn't answer to him.

"Yeah, well try telling him that. He's marked you as off limits. Might as well have pissed on your leg. Beautiful, Ranger thinks you're his woman. And if you really don't want to be, then you need to speak up. Otherwise he'll never leave you alone. Not until he's got you all to himself with some way of letting all men know you're off limits." Lester told me leaning back and crossing his arms.

I fell back into my own seat. Damn. Lester was right, but did I really not want to be Ranger's woman. Could I not be just his friend? Had we closed the option to that path the night we sealed the DeChooch agreement? I had too many questions and not enough answers.

"Look, I don't know what I want when it comes to Ranger right now. But I do know I need training. Actual self defense training and gun safety training and all that other bull. If you don't want to help me, I understand. But I need to do this Lester. You understand, right?" I asked him imploringly.

I would deal with my Ranger situation later, for now I needed to focus on me. Lester grinned at me, and I couldn't help but notice that even with a large bruise marring his face, he was still handsome.

"He's not gonna like it, but yeah Beautiful. I'll help you." He told me.

I grinned right back. And ordered us two meatball subs and a large strawberry milkshake for myself. We ate in contented silence and then I left for Mary Lou's. I might not have everything figure out, but I was getting my life back in order. Once piece at a time.

As I was laying on Mary Lou's couch I remembered I was moving tomorrow. I knew I had people to load up Carl's truck, but I had no one to help me unload it. I blew out a breath against my forehead and called Lester, hoping he was still up.

"Beautiful?" He questioned and I felt my pulse race at his sleep addled voice. Damn, that was sexy.

"Um, yeah. Sorry Lester. I didn't mean to wake you, but I just remembered I'm moving tomorrow and I was wondering if you wouldn't mind helping me do some heavy lifting? I realize it's last minute but it slipped my mind." I breathed into the phone.

His warm chuckle answered me, "Sure Beautiful. Me and a few of the guys will come by to help you tomorrow. What time and where?"

I felt relieved and told him the address and time to meet me. He hung up and I laid back down. Tomorrow was the start of a new era in my life, and I was determined it was going to be better than my past.

 **A/N: Thank you all so much for the support and reviews. I may wind up slowing down my writing because I just found out I'm pregnant with baby number two, and my new course schedule for this Summer is going to be four days a week instead of three. But I will keep this story going as long as I have support and people are interested in it.**


	10. You don't like me, just the chase

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, Everything recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry' chapter title comes from JoJo's song 'Too little Too late'**

* * *

I woke early the next morning and got ready to start my new life. Sure, I wasn't changing much, but a new place and a boost of training might as well had made me a pod person. I drove to my new apartment and met with Angie to pick up my keys. She handed them over along with a welcome packet. I smiled at her and called Carl to see if he would meet me here so I could borrow his truck, or if he wanted to meet me at his house.

"Hey, Carl. I was just calling about borrowing your truck." I told him as I slid behind the wheel of my Cherokee. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel and caught a glance of myself in my rear view mirror. I couldn't help but notice I looked different. Not in any majorly life changing way, but there was something shining in my eyes, and for once it wasn't tears. Huh.

"Shit! I'm sorry Steph. I totally forgot, I took the wife and kids out to Point Pleasant today. We won't be back til Sunday. Spending the weekend up here, ya know?" He told me. I could here the regret in his voice and let out a sigh. It wasn't his fault really, I probably should've called earlier and asked.

"No problem Carl. I'll figure something out. Thanks though." I told him hanging up the phone. I wasn't able to get my furniture yet today, but I could go ahead and start unloading the boxes in the back of my Cherokee. I pulled up to the gate and used my key fob to drive through. I smiled at the people milling about walking their dogs and playing with their kids.

This place was nice and normal, just what I needed in my life. I loved my job, most of the time, but after years of dealing with crazies I needed a safe place that was mine alone. I didn't plan on letting anyone know where I had moved to except for a select few. Which meant that unfortunately I wouldn't be able to invite Lula over.

I loved her to death but I knew she wouldn't be able to keep quiet about where I lived. The gate had an access code, but I knew it wouldn't take much to get in. And any determined stalker could wait it out. I blew out a heavy breath, this place was safer than my old apartment but nowhere near as safe as the Rangeman building. I frowned at thought, I hated that I couldn't do anything without Ranger crossing my mind.

I probably never crossed his mind. Except when he did his taxes and had to report all of the cars I had gotten blown up. Someday I'd figure out how to pay him pack for it. For all of it. He had said no price, and at the time I had believed him. But I had also thought he had felt something for me other than mild amusement and pity. Growling I shook my head. I wasn't going to think about him any more today.

Today I was going to move as many of my things into the new apartment as possible, then I was going to see if the thrift store would hold my furniture until Monday. I pulled into my assigned parking space and shut my car off. I opened the hatch to the Cherokee and pulled out a box containing some clothes. I hefted it onto my hip and walked up the flight of stairs to my apartment. Unlocking the door I walked in surprised to see Alexander Ramos leaning against the counter.

"Ah, Stephanie! So good to see you've finally arrived. Imagine my surprise when my niece called and said that you were interested in an apartment here. I told her to give you the friend's and family discount." He told me smiling so that the corners of his eyes crinkled.

I dropped the box by the front door and eyed him warily. I didn't see any guards, but that didn't mean they weren't around. "Mr. Ramos, what a surprise to to see you here. If I knew to be expecting company I would've dressed nicer." I told him walking further into the room.

His laugh filled the room, "Glykó korítsi, there is no need for such formalities between us. You look as radiant as ever. Now, I want you to know that you are under my umbrella of protection, as well as that of your Godfather's and I believe that of Ricardo's as well. You have a way of stealing kardiés without realizing it. Many are loyal to you." His hand came up to caress my face gently.

Sighing he shook his head, "As much as I would love to have had you as my wife, I realize you belong to another. Even if you both haven't recognized what is there. So instead I will settle for having you as my kóri, my daughter. Not through blood or marriage, but in spirit. Lord knows I wouldn't wish my sons on any woman, much less one as lovely as you. I just wanted to wish you well and congratulate you on this new step. I'll show myself to the door." And with that he walked out of the apartment, closing the door quietly behind him.

I felt myself blink at this new revelation. I had somehow gotten Alexander Ramos's protection, and I wasn't quite sure how to feel about that. I'd would still be leery of him for now, after all men like him could change on a dime if you did something to warrant it. I sighed and went back downstairs to retrieve another box, best to get the Cherokee unloaded now, then maybe I could order some pizza.

Around my sixth trip back to the apartment my phone rang. I almost dropped the box in my hands trying to answer it.

"Hello?" I asked not bothering to look at the caller ID. You'd figure I'd know better than that by now.

"Hey, Beautiful. Me and a few of the guys were about to head your way." Lester told me.

"Shit! I totally forgot Lester. Thanks for agreeing to help, but I don't have my furniture here. I probably won't be able to get it until Monday cause Carl is out of town with his truck." I told him running a hand through my hair. I knew I had forgotten something, but I was so caught up in unloading boxes I forgot to call Lester and cancel his help.

"No problem, Beautiful. Where do I need to go to pick up the furniture?" He asked me and I felt my heart swell with appreciation for him.

"Les, you really don't have to do that. Go enjoy your day off." I sighed as I started scooting boxes towards the bedroom with my foot. I really loved this place, I thought as I glanced at the hardwood flooring.

"Now, Beautiful. I said I would help, and that's exactly what I plan to do. Plus don't act like you weren't planning on paying the guys and me with Pino's and beer." He laughed into the phone. I snorted at that, all of the guys at Rangeman knew I couldn't cook, so when it came to food in return for favors Pino's was my go-to.

"Fine. It's at the thrift store down across from the old movie theater. You know, the one they open up on Halloween for the Rocky Horror Picture Show showing." I said as I pushed the boxes holding my clothes into my room.

He told me he knew where I was talking about and hung up before I could say anything else. Damn Rangeman and their lack of phone manners. Sighing I rolled my eyes and figured I'd save that fight for another day. I picked up the box containing my shoes and got to work organizing them into my closet. I had them sorted by heels, sneakers, and boots. Then they were sorted by heel size and color.

I sighed wistfully looking at them in their new home. Man I really loved my shoes. I walked back out and opened the box with my clothes and set about sorting them out to be placed on hangers and put away. I had just finished the third box of clothes when my phone rang.

"We're here Beautiful. Think you can let us in the gate?" Lester asked and I smiled. Glad that they hadn't just broken through the gate or figured out a way to manually override my gate code. I rambled off the number for him to press so I could buzz him through. Before I could get another word in edgewise he had hung up. I huffed and set my phone down. Would it kill them to say goodbye?

It was another five minutes before there was a knock on my door. I opened it and felt myself start to scowl. Standing there in all his glory was Ranger. Damn. Just who I didn't want to see today. Lester stood behind him slightly with Hal, Ram, and Hector. I turned my glare on Lester and hissed, "You didn't inform me that _he_ was invited."

Lester held up his hands in surrender, "Sorry Beautiful, but we had to use his truck. Once we told him why he refused to stay at Rangeman."

I glowered at him and felt a bit of satisfaction when he gulped. I moved aside and opened the door wider for them to enter. "Whatever. Probably wanted to make sure I wouldn't cause his truck to be blown up." Then I turned away from them letting my hair swirl around me.

I studiously ignored Ranger and went back to my bedroom. I had clothes that needed to be placed on hangers. I sat down in the middle of my piles of clothes when the door to my bedroom shut. I didn't even bother to look up. I knew it would be Ranger standing there with his blank face in place, and quite frankly I didn't have the strength or patience to deal with him today.

"Babe." He called. That did it! I was so sick and tired of all of the mixed signals. One minute he was pushing me away, and the next he was calling me Babe and acting like I meant something to him. I was through with it.

"No! You don't get to call me Babe. Never again. Stephanie. Ste-pha-nie! That's my name and it's about time you started using it instead of your pet name for me. I get that I offer you entertainment and that's why you keep me around, but I'll be damned if you keep ca-" I was cut off from finishing my thoughts aloud by his warm lips pressing against mine.

When had he crossed the room? I tried to put up a fight but his lips just felt too damn good. He was warm and hard and he smelt like Bvlgari. His hands were in my hair tugging lightly while he nipped at my bottom lip gently. I heard a moan from somewhere and my hands clenching in his t-shirt. When he pulled away I was panting and slightly dazed. What was that?

"You are Mine. My Babe, my Stephanie. I know your name Ste-pha-nie, but you normally like hearing it from me when I've got you underneath me in bed." He whispered in my ear. I felt myself shiver at his words. The way he drew out my name was incredibly sexy and I was sure I had ruined the panties I was wearing.

I tried to glare up at him, but I could tell from the slight smirk on his face that it hadn't worked. Damn him! This wasn't fair. Just once I wish I could control my actions around him. Then maybe I wouldn't be distracted so easily by his kiss. I brought my foot up intent on stomping on his, but before I could follow through, he had me turned away tucked closely against his chest.

"Easy there Babe. I don't mind playing rough, but I'd prefer to have a bed to take you on when I win my prize." He told me nuzzling my neck.

I felt myself stiffen. That's what I was to him. All I would ever be. A prize. Something to be won and put up on a shelf to be forgotten about while others looked on in envy. Or until someone else came along and stole me.

"Get. Out." I growled. I wanted him gone, far away from me so I could wallow in peace. I realized then that nothing would ever come of me and Ranger. Not unless one of us made drastic changes.

"Babe?" He questioned loosening his hold slightly. That was all I needed. I was out of his arms and across the room in my closest faster than ever. I reached for the nearest shoe and chucked it at his head.

"I said get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" I screamed throwing shoe after shoe at him. He managed to avoid most of them but I was satisfied to see a few of them hit their mark. He backed up and Lester opened my bed room door looking around frantically.

Lester reached in and grabbed Ranger pulling him out of the room to safety before taking his place and slamming the door shut. He eased over to me where I had hit my knees crying. Carefully he settled beside me and drew me into his arms.

"Shh, Beautiful. Shh. It's alright now, he's gone. I'm here now, we'll get this whole thing figured out. I promise. Just please don't cry anymore Beautiful. Please?" He whispered in my ear while he stroked my hair. I felt myself calming in his arms, and soon I was asleep. Content knowing for now that Ranger wouldn't be bothering me anymore tonight.

When I awoke I was surprised to feel a soft surface under me. That was strange, I could've sworn I had fallen asleep in Lester's arms on the floor. I felt myself blush. I must've looked like a mad woman screaming at Ranger that way and then falling asleep on Lester. I pried my eyes open carefully surprised to see it was still dark. But even in the darkness of the room I could make out the vase holding at least two dozen roses and a note attached to the bottom.

I could barely make out the writing but when I did I felt the tears start anew. Because there written as plain as day were the words I'd always wanted to hear him say.

 _Babe,_

 _I'm sorry, I love you._

 _Always, Ranger._

* * *

 **Greek Translation**

 **Glykó korítsi- Sweet Girl**

 **kardiés- Hearts**

 **kóri- Daughter**

 **A/N: So Sorry for the late update! But from now on I think I'm going to update once a week, most likely on Thursday's or Friday's. As always thank you so much for all of the wonderful reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it. As always as long as I have support for this story I will continue it.**

 **PS: What did ya'll think of Stephanie's little break down?**


	11. Changing Paces

When I next awoke it was to sunlight streaming through my new windows. I sighed and rolled over and saw the roses that Ranger had apparently left. My heart leaped at the sight before I tampered those feelings down. I was determined to stay strong, and falling for flowers and a written apology wasn't strong. I needed to show him that I deserved more. More than just being his play toy. I was tired of being a yo-yo for him to push and pull at will.

I debated throwing them away, but thought better of it. Sighing I got up and walked into my new bathroom for a shower. I glared at the bottle of Bvlgari sitting in the corner of the shower and opted for my vanilla lavender body wash. I spent a good hour in the shower shaving, exfoliating and conditioning my hair. Getting out I dried off and moisturized before slipping into a matching lace boy-short and bra set. I walked across the room to my closet and almost screamed when I saw Ranger sitting on my bed.

I glared at him and continued to my closet ignoring him. I tried not to flush when I noticed his eyes darkening as he took in my lack of apparel. I stood in my closet and picked out a pair of dark wash jeans and a light blue stretchy tank top. Slipping into my chosen outfit I began pursuing shoes. As I lent over to pick out a pair of black leather boots with a low heel, I felt hands grasp my waist.

"Babe" Ranger whispered in my ear as I rose. Turning to face him I tried to school my features into a scowl. It wasn't that hard considering I was genuinely annoyed with him at this moment. You'd think my breakdown last night and the arsenal of shoes that I had thrown at him would be enough for him to get the message. I wasn't interested in just being his piece on the side while he ran off and did whatever the hell he wanted.

I backed out of his arms and told him, "We had this discussion last night Ranger. My name is not Babe, and I refuse to answer to it any longer." I turned grabbed my selected shoes and walked out of the closet to sit on my bed and put my shoes on.

"Fine. Stephanie, we need to talk." He told me leaning against the door frame of my closet with his arms crossed. I glanced at him surprised to see his jaw actively ticking. I frowned at him and motioned my hand for him to continue as I zipped up my boots. He ran his fingers through his loose hair and actually sighed. I couldn't help my surprise at that. Mr. Always in Control was showing outward signs of annoyance.

"Look Steph, I'm sorry alright? I don't know what I did exactly to piss you off but I'm sorry. I love you and I never mean to hurt you, but I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm out of my element here." He told me avoiding eye contact.

I snorted at that Ranger out of his element and claiming to love me. Yeah, sure. In his own way. And I couldn't settle for that anymore. I deserved more.

"Yeah, you said as much in your note. But your love comes with a condom, not a ring. I know, you've told me enough times. And I finally get it. Well you don't have to worry about a ring, or the condom anymore. I'm done with this whole not-relationship relationship. Because whether you want to admit it or not, we had a relationship. Maybe not to you, but to me. And I can't keep being someone you push away when you start to get too close." I told him sighing and standing up. I walked out of the room before he could say another word. I was about to walk into the kitchen when his hand grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me close to him.

His lips crashed onto mine and I tried to push him away. He wasn't having it though. One of his hands wound it's way into my still damp hair while the other curled around my waist and pulled me closer. When he managed to slip his tongue into my mouth I nipped at it. He pulled away and hissed. His dark eyes stared down at me and a smirk was on his lips.

"Playing with fire Stephanie. And if you had listened to me I would have told you that you've mad me change my mind. My love comes with a ring now. Not right now, but in the future you can count on my ring on your finger." He told me before placing another kiss on my lips.

Before I could respond, he was out the door leaving me standing there with a shocked look on my face. Ranger intended to put a ring on my finger. I felt myself start to heat up with a mix of desire and anger. If he thought it was going to be that easy after all the hell he'd put me through these past years, I had news for him. Stephanie Plum was becoming a changed woman, and if he thought he could handle that, I might consider wearing his ring. If not, then I'd move to greener pastures.

I left my apartment after fixing a peanut butter and olive sandwich and tossing Rex some hamster pellets and a few grapes. I drove to the bonds office after picking up some doughnuts from the Tasty Pastry. Walking in Connie and Lula gave a hefty arm wave. Both of them were pressed up to Vinnie's door obviously trying to listen in to whatever conversation he was having. I placed the doughnuts on Connie's desk before grabbing a Boston Creme for myself before sitting on the couch.

I watched in amusement as Connie and Lula pushed against each other trying to get the better advantage to hear what was being said on the other side of the door. Lula was dressed in her signature spandex mini skirt with today's color being a bright electric blue. Her top was surprisingly modest. A white glitter emblazoned tank top. Her hair though reminded me of Storm off of X-men. It was white with electric blue streaks woven throughout. Sighing I shook my head and grabbed another Boston Creme.

Finally Lula and Connie moved away from the door and made an attempt to look busy. I stifled a laugh at that, honestly between the two of them only Connie did any real office work. Lula tried, but she got bored easily and preferred to ride with me to pick up skips. I didn't mind, other than the fact that most of the time I went with his to drop said skip off at the Trenton PD, when I came back out she was gone.

The door opened and out stepped Vinnie's father in law, Harry the Hammer. He nodded to all of us and straightened his suit before walking out the door. Before I could ask Connie and Lula what Harry was doing here, Vinnie stepped out of his office.

"What are you all doing here standing around? I don't pay you to sit around eating doughnuts!" He snarled before turning to me, "And you! Where is Dominic Mancino? Harry's up my ass about him, and I know you have his case file! I knew I should've handed it over to Rangeman." He yelled before storming back into his office and slamming the door.

I glanced at Connie and Lula and all three of us burst out laughing. Vinnie stuck his head out and glared at all of us before tossing us and Italian hand gesture and crawling back into his lair. I smirked at Connie and sighed.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right. What else can you tell me about Mancino?" I asked Connie. I figured it was a good idea to figure out if he had any mob affiliations I should be worried about.

"Aside from the fact that he's an abusive asshole? Not much. He's not well liked by his family, and from what I can tell none of the Families like him either. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, unless he has other connections I'm not aware of." She told me rolling her eyes. I sighed.

Looks like I needed to stop by Sunny's and stock up on pepper spray and a new stun gun. I had read Dominic's record and I knew he'd have no problem hitting a woman. Maybe I could scope out a local hangout after I talked to the ex- girlfriend and snag him up them. Of course that would mean being able to convince him to leave with me in case he had any friends inside. Great.

I didn't want to get up close and personal with this creep, but I knew it was my best shot at the five-thousand dollar payday. Standing up I went to leave and Connie handed me a few files.

"All regulars, don't worry." She told me. I nodded and headed out. Sitting in my Cherokee I glanced at the first of three files. The first was Mooner, which meant at least one of the others was probably Dougie. Mooner and Dougie were a couple of alright guys with a penchant for forgetting their court dates because they liked to sit around stoned watching re-runs of old TV show marathons. I figured I could go and pick them up, then head to talk to Mancino's ex.

I stopped by Cluck-in-Bucket on my way to Dougie and Mooner's hoping I could pry them away with some food. Knocking on the door i smiled when Mooner answered the door in his boxers and a tank top.

"Dudette!" He shouted grinning. If I didn't know better, I'd think they intentionally forgot their court dates just to hang out with me.

"You forgot your court date." I told him crossing my arms. He scratched his head and grinned at me.

"Sorry Dudette. Did Dougie forget too?" He asked hopefully. I laughed, only these two would want to go to jail together. I nodded and he yelled for Dougie. The two of them followed me to my Cherokee and I handed over the Cluck-in-Bucket and headed to the TPD. After collecting my body receipts I stopped and looked through the file for any information on Angelia Calvetti.

Her address was listed as a duplex near Stark street and I groaned. I really didn't feel like attracting any crazies today. If I was lucky I could get this over with quickly, if not I'd be on the front page of the Trenton Gazette for some ridiculous reason or another.

Man up Plum, I thought to myself. I pulled up to her duplex and got out. Knocking on the door I waited for an answer. After five minutes with no answer I figured she wasn't home. I frowned heavily and walked back to my Cherokee. I guess it was time to head to Sunny's.

Before I could head that way though my phone rang. Lester.

"Hey." I said as I pulled away from the curb.

"Any particular reason you're hanging around Stark Street Beautiful?" He asked. Great. It wasn't bad enough I had Ranger monitoring my every move, now Lester was joining in.

"Just following up on a lead on a skip." I told him driving towards Sunny's, "And now I'm headed to the gun range." I added sarcastically. One of these days I was going to remove all of my trackers and go off the grid for an actual vacation.

"I'll meet you there." And then He hung up. I rolled my eyes. Save that fight for another day, Plum. I threw my phone in the passenger seat and continued driving. I waited in the parking lot for Lester. Time to see what Lester was planning for today.


	12. It just keeps coming

I had barely been sitting in my car for five minutes when Lester tapped on the window. I smiled at him and motioned him to back up so I could open my door. He did one better and opened the door for me instead. I laughed at his antics, out of all the Rangemen Lester was one of my favorites. And not just because he let me cry on him. He was funny and sweet when he wanted to be.

"So, Beautiful, what are you doing coming here? When you know there's a perfectly good gun range at Rangeman you have open access to." Lester questioned when I stepped out of my Cherokee. I sighed internally. This was the part I didn't want to explain to anyone. Maybe it was because of my pride, or maybe I was just being stubborn, but I didn't want to use anymore of Ranger's resources if I could help it. I suppose technically Lester could be counted as a resource, but he had volunteered.

"Um, well. Look I wanna do this on my own. With minimal help from anybody. Not that I don't appreciate the help you and the guys at Rangeman have given me, but I need to stand on my own two feet again. Ya know?" I told him in one big rush. I figured he'd either understand and respect my wishes while still offering me help, or he'd decide I wasn't worth the effort and walk away. Thankfully Lester wasn't one to abandon a friend.

"I get that Beautiful. Alright, let's go in here and get you trained to be all Wonder Woman like." He told me, gently guiding me into Sunny's. Walking in I noticed not much had changed. There were still displays of guns in glass cases arranged throughout the small room. Along with the array of guns were different types of knives, brass knuckles, and mace. Walking up to the counter I got out my wallet to pay for an hours time in the Range but Sunny stopped me.

Her slightly wrinkled hand waved me away. Glancing up at her I felt confused. Was I not welcome to use her range? And if so, then what was I gonna do. Before I could pursue that line of thought Sunny's slightly raspy voice breached my thoughts.

"You're money's no good here Bombshell. Thanks to you I've sold more guns in the past six months than I have in the past six years. Everyone wants what you're carrying. I really should come out with a Bombshell line." She told me smiling. Well that was a surprise. I knew I was a quasi-celebrity, but I didn't realize I had people buying guns to try and emulate me. Huh. Who would've thought.

"You go on back and spend as much time in the range as you need. Just wait til people find out that the Bombshell Bounty Hunter uses my gun range. I'll never get them out of it!" She laughed. I smiled at her and made my way back. Normally I'd insist on paying, but quite honestly Sunny scared me a little. She was tough in an Old Jersey way, with big hair and big attitude. I wouldn't be surprised if at one point of her life she was mob.

Pushing open the door to the range I felt myself start to tense at the smell of lingering gun powder. Lester stood off to the side giving me a moment to adjust. Straightening my spine and shoulders I walked to the marked area and fished my gun out of my bag. I started to slide a bullet into the chamber when Lester's hand on mine stopped me.

"Beautiful, what are you doing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

I shrugged, "Getting ready to shoot my gun. What does it look like?" I asked slightly annoyed. I knew I wasn't some military trained macho man, but I knew how to load and shoot a gun. He sighed and shook his head in frustration.

"Beautiful, there's more to shooting a gun than just putting a bullet in it and pulling the trigger. Here, let me show you." He told me taking the gun from my hands carefully.

We spent the next fifteen minutes going over all the parts of the gun. Then he showed me how to take it apart, clean it, and put it back together. He talked to me about ammunition, and which ones were best for which brands of guns. He showed me the proper way to hold my gun so I wouldn't accidentally fire off a shot in a fit of nerves. Then he told me I wouldn't be doing any shooting today.

"What do you mean I'm not shooting today?" I asked him incredulously. I get needing to know the basics, but did that really mean I wasn't allowed to shoot.

"Look Beautiful. I know you want to crash course this whole thing, but it's gonna take time. You've got to become used to your gun. Try carrying it on your person, not in your purse, unloaded for the next week. Get used to the feel and weight of it. Learn how to disassemble and reassemble it. If I think you've improved by next week I'll help you with shooting." He told me with his arms crossed firmly against his chest.

I could tell he wouldn't be budging on this so I just nodded my head. He was probably right anyway. So with a frown I walked out of the gun range, giving Sunny a little finger wave on my way out. Unlocking my Cherokee I slid behind the wheel and turned over the ignition with bated breath. It was unlikely anyone had rigged my car to explode, but it's happened before.

Sighing with relief when I didn't go boom, I reached to close my door. Glancing up I saw Lester standing there smiling down at me. He gently closed my door for me and ruffled my hair. Glaring at him I flipped down the driver side vanity mirror in hopes of fixing the rats nest I called hair.

Groaning I shot him another glare which caused him to release an amused laugh. "Sorry Beautiful, I couldn't resist." He told me still chuckling.

I gave him an Italian hand gesture and shifted my car into gear.

"Wait a minute Beautiful." He told me running his fingers through his hair, "Look, I probably shouldn't be saying this but he's my cousin and I care about him. And you. And anyone looking at you two can tell you love one another. I'm not saying it has to be right this second, but give him a chance to pull his head out of his ass."

I glanced at him and thought about the flowers and note Ranger had left in my apartment. He could write it, but so far he hadn't been able to say the words in person. "And if he doesn't?" I asked Lester trying to ignore the tightening of my throat at that thought.

"Then there's a long line of men waiting for him to screw up, so they can step up." He said and then he was gone.

I felt a scream bubbling up and I forced it back down. I wanted to forgive Ranger, hell I wanted to give him a chance. But until he proved that he actually meant what he said and didn't make me feel like a high dollar prostitute, I was keeping him on a firm leash. I needed a doughnut.

I made my way to the Tasty Pastry and picked up an order of a dozen Boston Creme's. When just as I was about to leave, who else would walk in but the Devil himself. I figured my luck was running out, so it was no surprise to see my ass of an ex looming in the doorway. Joe Morelli had probably heard I was here through the grapevine and was now here looking for a fight.

Well if he wanted a fight, I wasn't going to back down. I tried to walk past him and out the door but he grabbed my arm and hauled me back in the store. I immediately regretted not having my stun gun in my front pocket, because right now I'd like nothing more than to light his boys up like the fourth of July. I yanked my arm out of his hold and glared at him.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Morelli?" I hissed trying to avoid the staring eyes of the crowd that was slowly gathering around us. I could see some people holding out their phones, most likely videoing or taking pictures to show off later. I growled, I was tired of being the epicenter of the Burg's gossip and Morelli was dragging me right back to it.

"I'm here to talk some sense into that stubborn head of yours Cupcake!" He shouted. Great. So much for not causing a bigger scene than was necessary. I felt my spine stiffen and I gave him a full force Burg glare. How dare he!

"Listen here, Morelli! If you think that for one moment you can come here and try to get me to take you back, you've lost your ever loving mind! I know you cheated, not only because you left the evidence on the bedroom floor where I could find it, but because you couldn't spare enough time to wrap it up while you were boinking every woman you could! Tell me Joe, just how many illegitimate Morelli's are going to be born this year because of you?" I shouted back. Oh yeah, I was bringing out the big guns.

The gasp from the crowd was nearly deafening, and I felt a thread of glee run through me as Joe lost all the color in his face.

"Why you little lying bitch!" He screamed at me before raising his hand as if to hit me. Before he could even make contact though we all heard the cocking of a gun. Glancing over his shoulder I noticed the pistol pressed against the back of his skull being held by none other than Alexander Ramos.

"If I were you, I'd greatly rethink trying to lay a hand on Miss Plum ever again, Detective Morelli." Alexander's voice was soft and deadly and I had no doubt he'd pull the trigger in a heartbeat, regardless of the room full of witnesses. I watched in fascination as Morelli's face went from varying degrees of white to a sickly green pallor before coming back to a vivid red.

Morelli lowered his hand and glowered at me. Alexander lowered his gun and snarled for Morelli to get lost. Before I knew what had happened Morelli was gone, but I knew I hadn't seen the last of him. Morelli was like a dog with a bone, and unfortunately he had demented himself into thinking we belonged together. I knew that if he didn't give up those thoughts quickly, he'd either be wearing a pair of concrete boots in the Delaware River, or spending the rest of a pathetically short life in prison.

I shook my head and felt myself start to relax. Alexander smiled at me gently and gave me a once over to ensure I was okay. "Ah kori`, you do lead an exciting life. That Bástardos didn't hurt you did he?" He asked.

I shook my head and sighed. Just once I wish I could have a normal drama free day. I had a feeling to get that I'd need to leave New Jersey, if not the United States all together. I hear the Bahama's are nice. Shaking away the fantasy of lying on a beach with a strong drink in my hand I turned my attention back to Alexander.

"Good, good. Do try to be more careful dear. I must be going now, I'll stop by to check on you soon though." And with that he left in a flourish. Sighing I decided to call it a day and headed home with my box of Boston Creme's.

I was almost on my street when my phone rang. I picked it up without looking, and almost immediately regretted it.

"Stephanie! Are you alright? I just heard from Mary Kavino about what happened. I can't believe that idiot would try to hit you! And what's this I hear about Alexander Ramos pulling a gun on that Morelli bastard? Why would he do that? You're not involved with him are you? Because if you are that would just break my heart. Think about what the neighbors would say!" My mother had the ability to ramble for hours if you let her and I started to tune her out. I loved her and she meant well, but I wan't in the mood for the Spanish Inquisition.

"Mom! I'm fine. Mr. Ramos is a friend, nothing more. I'm headed home to my secure apartment, where I'm going to take a long bubble bath, drink some wine and then pass out watching Ghostbusters. I love you, and I'll talk to you tomorrow." I told her, hoping for now that would appease her. Thankfully God decided to cut me a break and she accepted my answers without much fuss.

Once she hung up I relaxed more fully and pulled up to my apartment complex. I buzzed my way through the gate and pulled into my assigned parking space. Walking into my apartment the first thing I noticed was the rose petals. They were everywhere in shades from the brightest whites to the deepest reds. Walking cautiously further into the apartment I saw several bouquets of roses on every available flat surface. What couldn't be placed up high were sitting in groups in the corners of the room.

I felt my heart skip a beat, and for a terrifying moment I thought a stalker had found me. I glanced around looking for a sign of who could've done this and noticed the silver serving tray set out on my dining table with a bottle of expensive wine and a solid white envelope with 'Babe' neatly scrawled on it. Ranger. Of course.

I felt myself smile and walked over to the note opening it I knew I was sporting a face-splitting grin.

 _Next time, we'll do this together._

 _Enjoy, Carlos Manoso._

I sighed happily and uncovered the dish he had more than likely had Ella prepare for me. Inside was a healthy serving of Pollo con Arroz with steamed vegetables and a rich sauce covering it. And on the side was a large slice of what looked to be the most decadent piece of chocolate cheesecake I had ever seen.

I sat down and enjoyed my meal, before heading to take a long bubble bath. I fell asleep in my bed shortly after, but not before texting Ranger.

 **Thank you for tonight. I can't wait until next time.**

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 **A/N: Whew! I managed to get two chapters out this week. Morning sickness is starting to subside, meaning I can actually think straight enough to write. I'm sorry if this chapter feels like it's all over the place, but I'm hoping to lead this story into a very interesting direction. I don't foresee this story being more than thirty chapters long. As always thank you for all of the support (over two hundred reviews! Wow!) and as long as I keep getting support I will continue this to the end.**

 **P.S. What would you guys think about an out take of Lester's POV? Let me know.**


	13. No More Drama

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, everything recognizable belongs to the lovely Janet Evanovich. Story title comes from Carrie Underwood's song 'Dirty Laundry', chapter title comes from Mary J. Blige's 'No More Drama'**

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The next week I carried my gun with me everywhere. Or I tried to. I kept it tucked into the back of my pants under my shirt. It took almost the whole week for me to get used to having the cold pressure at the base of my spine, but eventually I did. I never drew it, mainly cause I figured there was no point in pulling an unloaded gun, when I had a perfectly good stun gun. I knew that I wouldn't always be able to rely on it though. The incidents with Ramirez and the Slayers taught me that.

So I was going to learn to carry my gun and use it with confidence. Especially if I wanted to move up in the Bounty Hunter world. I was tired of being the butt of everyone's joke, and I was going to do everything in my power to change that. I felt the beginnings of hunger coming on, so I pulled up to the Tasty Pastry for a half- dozen of Boston Cremes. Thankfully I managed to get in and out without incident. It was Thursday, which meant I was headed to the gun range.

Maybe today Lester, would actually let me shoot. I shoved a doughnut in my mouth, moaning at the deliciousness that was a Boston Creme and drove to Sunny's. I was through my fourth red light and on my third doughnut when blue lights flashed in my rear view. A nondescript POS was behind me, with none other than Joe Morelli behind the wheel. Great, just my luck. Couldn't he get the picture that I wasn't putting up with his shit any more? I thought about driving until I reached Sunny's but figured he'd just follow me and call for back up.

I was thankful that Lester had encouraged me to carry my gun, and even more so that Ranger had managed to get me a concealed carry permit. Easing to a stop in front of a local sports shop I cracked my window a hair and got all of the necessary paperwork ready. Maybe I'd get lucky and he'd keep things professional.

"Well, well, cupcake. Looks like I finally got you alone, without any of your thug backup. You know I still owe you for that stunt you pulled with my stuff." He said leaning close to my window. He stuck his fingers in the small gap and I could tell he was about to start trying to force it down. Not good, not good at all. I pressed speed dial three on my phone and prayed that someone at Rangeman would pick up.

About the time the call went through my window gave under the pressure of Joe's hands and cracked. Dammit, I like this car and I'd be damned if I let his destroy it.

"What the fuck Joe? Why'd you go and break my window? Huh? You cheated on me with that skank Terri Gilman, and God knows who else. The least you deserved was some trashed stuff." I spat at him. Seriously, what was wrong with this neanderthal? So I trashed his clothes and ruined his favorite chair. Big whoop! He could've given me an STD with all the piddling around he did.

"You're gonna pay for that Cupcake! I'm gonna teach you your place, like I should've done a long time ago. And then you're gonna beg to do all of the things on your 'no go' list and then some to keep me happy! I don't know who made you think you're more than just a piece of ass, but I'm gonna give you a wake up call you won't ever forget!" He shouted back at me. I felt my throat close up with fear at the look in his eyes.

Joe had finally lost it. His eyes were wild and crazy, with an eerie coldness set into them. It looked like the lights were on, but nobody was home. I briefly wondered if this is what Old Man Morelli looked like to Angela. Maybe the Morelli men were truly cursed with madness, but I wasn't going to find out.

I reached behind me and pulled my gun. It wasn't loaded, but I hoped It would buy me enough time for Morelli to come to his senses.

"Step away from the window Morelli!" I told him trying to keep my voice from wavering. I watched his eyebrows draw together in confusion. Like he couldn't really believe what he was seeing or maybe he was trying to work out a difficult puzzle.

"You gonna shoot me Cupcake? Me? I'm a cop, you stupid bitch! You'll see the inside of a jail cell for even pointing that thing at me." He snarled banging his hand against the roof of my car. I tried to steady my hands. Really I did, but they shook anyways. What did I ever see in this man? Was my judgement that clouded, that I couldn't see the monster he would become.

I felt my vision start to go cloudy. Why were my cheeks wet? Was it raining? No, that didn't make sense, I was in my car. It couldn't rain in my car. I couldn't breathe! Why couldn't I breathe? I was so hot all of a sudden. Joe swam in and out of my focus and I thought maybe there were two of him all of a sudden.

Then he was gone and my door was being yanked open. I was being lifted gently out of my car and sat on the concrete. My head was being pushed down between my knees and a hand was rubbing my back. A voice was crooning in my ear urging me to take deep breaths. In. Out. In. Out. I listened to the soothing baritone of the voice in my ear, until I was able to focus again. Looking up I saw Bobby crouched next to me, one hand gently wrapped around my wrist. Probably taking my pulse.

"What happened?" I croaked out. Why was my voice raw? Like I had been screaming.

"You had a panic attack Bomber. Are you alright now? We got here as soon as we could. You're safe now." He told me still gently rubbing my back.

A panic attack? I'd never had a panic attack before. I didn't panic, I laughed it off and ate a dozen or two of doughnuts. I took long showers and watched Ghost busters and talked to Rex. But I didn't panic. Maybe that wasn't completely true I thought, thinking of the time Ranger had been shot in my apartment. I had certainly panicked then. But that was a different kind of panic.

"I had a panic attack? Are you sure?" I asked unconvinced. Bobby nodded sagely at me and I sucked in a breath. Well, damn. I didn't want to think about it anymore, so I changed the subject.

"And Morelli?" I asked hesitantly. Did he freak and run away when I went into the panic attack? Or had the guys at Rangeman hauled him away?

Bobby ran a hand down his face tiredly, "Morelli is currently in a holding cell at the Trenton Police Department, possibly facing charges of Harassment if you decide to file them. Rangeman has the whole incident recorded loud and clear, so there's no way he could deny them. That coupled with the video floating around of him raising a hand to hit you the other day and you're pretty much guaranteed a restraining order." He told me quietly.

I thought about it, and decided I would need to press charges. There was no way Joe would stop otherwise. If I let him get away with this, there was no telling what he might try to do next. As much as the Burg might not approve, I had to do what was best for me. Protecting Joseph Morelli wasn't it. I nodded my acquiescence to Bobby, and I felt disappointed in myself when his shoulders sagged in relief.

I had been a doormat to Morelli so long, that everyone would expect me to have a soft heart about this. But I knew I couldn't this time. Morelli had wronged me in more than one way, and this was just the icing on top of the cake. I wasn't going to tolerate it any more. I made a promise to myself, doormat Stephanie died today. Right here on this curb. I would never bend myself to fit another persons mold for me ever again.

"So what do I need to do to file formal charges against him?" I sighed looking at Bobby.

"You'll have to go down to the station and give them a report. I'll see if I can get Hector to send them a copy of the recordings before you get there to ease the way for you. And Ranger's already been in touch with a friend of his that's a judge. You'll get approved for a restraining order as soon as the paper crosses his desk." Bobby told me. Placing a hand on my shoulder he squeezed it gently before offering me his hand to stand up.

I took it and stood cautiously, pleased to note I wasn't dizzy or nauseated like I had expected. I frowned at my cracked window and sighed, at least Morelli hadn't busted it and dragged me out of the car. Which got me to thinking.

"Hey, how'd you get me out of my car anyways? The doors were locked." I frowned. I didn't think it was possible to pick the lock on a car without the alarm blaring.

"Uh, well. Ranger kinda has an emergency kit for situations like this involving you. It includes a copy of the key to your parents, your new place, and your car." He told me in one big rush. Normally, I'd be pissed about that. I probably would be later, but right now I was thankful that Ranger was once again looking out for me. Even if it confused me even more.

What was he trying to say? Did he want a real relationship with me, instead of some friends with benefits thing? Or was it the other way around, and this was one of the benefits? He was the man of mystery, and yet I was still deeply in love with him. Well, fuck.

I let Bobby drive me to the station so I could make my report in a haze. I was in love with Ricardo Carlos Manoso aka Ranger aka Batman. And that scared the shit out of me. I had never truly been in love before. Not really. I had thought I loved Dickie at one point, when I was young and naive and thought I could still be the perfect Burg girl. But he had proven that what I thought was love was nothing more than lies when he screwed Joyce Barnhardt on my new dining room table.

And maybe I had loved Joe at one time, or maybe I just felt obligated to be with him out of Catholic guilt. After all he had been my first. Regardless of how lousy it had been. After he'd destroyed my reputation, and I'd broken his leg, he'd become a good cop. And according to all of the mothers in the Burg a good man. A respectable man, who any women would be lucky to land. Maybe that was the problem, I had been blinded by what the Burg had thought. And I hadn't been able to see he was still the rat bastard he was all those years ago.

But Ranger was a different matter entirely. He was always there, supporting me silently. In the background for the most part, sure. But when he was front and center, he let himself be very well seen and heard. He'd given me multiple cars, and bodyguards. Had been known to drop everything to come to my rescue when I'd been kidnapped or injured. Hell he'd willingly jumped into the Delaware River to save me once. And let's not even talk about Hawaii. For those two weeks, I was blissfully content playing Mrs. Carlos Manoso.

So where did that leave me with Ranger? I wasn't entirely sure, but I knew I needed to have a bare bones discussion with him. About the possibility of there being an us. And if he spewed his condom not a ring spiel, I was going to let him know he could keep his condom, and his ring for that matter. Because I was through being yanked around like a yo-yo. I knew I loved him, and he needed to either step up or step aside.

I was shocked from my thoughts with Bobby's 'we're here'. Time to face the firing squad. Thankfully it was my cousin by marriage Eddie Gazarra who would be taking my statement and giving me all of the necessary forms to sign. After what had happened nearly three weeks ago with Morelli, I was pleasantly surprised to find Eddie had decided to use his office instead of one of the interrogation rooms.

I told Eddie what I remembered before I had my meltdown, signed all the papers I was given and walked out an hour later. It was only after I had exited the TPD did I realize I was without a ride. Guess I'd have to call Grandma Mazur or my dad to come rescue me. Before I could dial the number though, Lester got out of a shiny black SUV and walked over grinning.

"Didn't think you'd get out of gun practice that easily, did you?" He smirked at me. I sighed but followed him to the car. Maybe I could talk him into stopping for doughnuts if I was lucky.

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 **A/N: Hey y'all! Sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but I had a bit of writer's block paired with a severe sinus infection. I'm feeling better now though, so hopefully I can get back to updating on a regular basis. So Morelli is finally going to get his comeuppance and Stephanie has admitted to herself that she is in love with Ranger. Don't think it's gonna be easy for them right out the bat though. They still need to talk and work on some of their issues, and if I thought it would do any good aside from the comedic factor, I'd send them to couple's therapy. As always as long as I have support for this story I will continue it. Thanks so much for all of the reviews and love for this story. You guys are amazing.**


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